


Missing Pieces

by Askastles



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Drama, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot Collection, POV Alternating, Spoilers for Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 44,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29172495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Askastles/pseuds/Askastles
Summary: So many questions remain unanswered. How did Lloyd and Cecile first meet Lelouch? When did Emperor Charles tamper with the memories of Ashford's student council? What happened to Guilford? A collection of mostly-canon one-shots exploring important scenes left out of the anime from a couple unconventional perspectives.(Cross-posted from FF.net, I hope I tagged it properly)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 16





	1. Conspiracy

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my story! As I stated in the summary, this is a collection of mostly-canon one-shots detailing character interactions in the CG universe. Many of them will inevitably focus on Lelouch in some capacity since I consider him one of my favorite characters in anime, however each tale will be told from the perspective of a different CG character, major or minor. For example, this first chapter deals with how Lloyd and Cecile first met Lelouch after he and Suzaku teamed up in R2. These stories represent how I imagine discussions progressed in the anime when not onscreen. By referring to them as mostly-canon, I mean almost all of the stories should have been possible considering canon events. For all intents and purposes, I consider them canon, even if you may not. Also, I apologize for any OOCness, because it inevitably will occur, especially with the narrators serving as my proxies. So, without further ado, please enjoy Missing Pieces!
> 
> (I'm in the process of cross-posting from FF.net, so the 5 chapters I already posted there will be posted here shortly. For future chapters, I'll do my best to post concurrently.)

The Camelot door guard gave a proud salute as a familiar youth neared his sights. He wore his typical dazzling white uniform indicative of a Rounds, minus the navy cape he donned for formal occasions. "Sir Kururugi!"

"At ease," the boy replied as he glanced around, his face remaining neutral. "Is something the matter, James?"

The guard's heart beat faster when he realized the emperor's associate had bothered to remember his meager name. Unlike many other Britannians, he cared not about the boy's nationality or heritage. Instead, the guard chose to focus on the rank of the boy before him, a rank he, as well as every other humble soldier of the Empire, coveted greatly.

He dropped his arms to his sides. "Yes, sir." He paused, considering whether to continue. "Sir, we've been wondering…that is, it's been weeks since the Second Battle of Tokyo, and the absence of both you and especially His Majesty the emperor has not gone unnoticed. Forgive my intrusion, sir, but we feared the worst. Does your presence here mean His Majesty has returned to the capital as well?"

The knight maintained his gaze, and James suddenly regretted having spoken at all. It was not his place to inquire about the business of royalty. Sometimes the man wished he could just learn to keep his mouth shut. Silently praying for mercy, the guard listened as his young employer replied, "That's exactly what I came to discuss with Lloyd and Miss. Cecile. In private."

James blinked. He hadn't really expected an answer to his question, yet the Knight of Seven hadn't bothered to reprimand him either. In fact, the boy's features barely changed during the interaction, but something was definitely wrong. _Did something happen to the emperor?_ The guard could barely comprehend the thought, yet the Knight of Seven seemed unusually solemn, even for him (the boy's serious attitude had, after all, earned him a reputation as the stark opposite of the similarly-aged Knight of Three). James desperately yearned to hear the answer, but Sir Kururugi's response had dashed his hopes of that ever occurring. Obviously, his ears were not welcome in that conversation between the Emperor's right-hand and the eccentric scientists.

Concerned that he had already overstepped his bounds, the guard replied with a simple "Of course, sir."

He shifted sideways to open the door for the young knight when he realized a third person also occupied the corridor. Slightly behind his superior stood a Britannian boy who appeared around the same age as Sir Kururugi. He wore what seemed to be a black school uniform with golden trim that matched the darkness of his hair. Yet, these features weren't what caught James's attention.

Though the unfamiliar boy glanced slightly to the side, the guard could still discern the color of his eyes: a stunning violet. _What an unusual color._ It carried…elegance. Suddenly, the boy turned towards him, and James froze, a shiver rising up his spine. The gaze wasn't one he expected of a student. It was hard, piercing, predatory, like it could stare right into his soul. It reminded him of someone… _The emperor,_ his mind told him. No, that was ridiculous. No boy's gaze could possibly carry that much power.

The man forced himself out of his stupor. "Excuse my asking Sir Kururugi, but will your friend be accompanying you as well? This area is restricted under orders from His Highness Second Prince Schneizel – "

"Yes, I requested to meet with Professor Asplund and Miss. Croomy personally. I assure you, my presence is none of your concern."

The ebony-haired boy's voice carried too much authority. If the guard didn't know better, he would have mistaken the tone for that of Prince Schneizel himself. _Who is he? Nobility?_ Oh well. Maybe one day, he would figure it out. He almost let the two pass, but at the last second he remembered to check with Sir Kururugi first. _Was I about to let an unknown minor into the facility based on his word alone?_ To his relief, the knight gave a firm nod, covering his blunder. "Right this way then."

The pair strode confidently past him. James thought the difficult interaction had ended, at least until the unidentified youth turned to face him. "Oh, excuse me, there is one last thing." The guard froze for a second time as their eyes locked. Once again, he felt the power of the other's gaze, but this time it was accompanied by fear, no, terror as well. The violet irises had disappeared, leaving only an eerie red glow in their place. Red like blood.

" ** _You will obey my orders._** "

* * *

Cecile presented the tray of snacks to her boss as he held a roll of blueprints up to the A.S.E.E.C.'s latest _magnum opus_ , fervently glancing between both models. The woman sighed. Honestly, Lloyd had worked too hard as of late, considering the current situation. What use would a state-of-the-art Knightmare such as the one before them have without a proper pilot? Honestly, it currently only served to take up space in the hangar, catch the attention of nobility who passed through, and distract the professor from more important projects, such as helping improve Britannia's military force as a whole. Not that he'd ever expressed any interest in that endeavor. Lloyd only seemed invested in building single, unique KMFs, perhaps with the hope of outdoing his adversary Rakshata or simply finding entertainment in the spectacle the machine performed while in the midst of battle.

"Lloyd," she spoke softly. He didn't even acknowledge her presence, continuing to hum away at whatever jovial tune occupied his mind. She tried once more, this time with a little more force. "Lloyd!"

That got his attention. The self-proclaimed sociopath turned his head towards his assistant. A sly smile tugging at the edge of his lips as he eyed her. "My, my Cecile. It's rare to be hearing you raise your voice –" He stopped his words as his eyes finally rested upon the platter she brandished before her. His eyebrows quirked upwards as if considering how to handle them, his smile dropping slightly.

Cecile resisted the urge to frown, torn between anger and disappointment. _I always knew he didn't like my cooking! If Suzaku were here, he would_ \- Feeling upset, the woman halted her train of thought, closed her eyes, disobeyed the whims of her emotions, and smiled warmly towards the engineer. "They're for you of course! I knew you must be hungry after working so long on the Albion, so I tried out a new cookie recipe I found online!"

Silence accompanied the pair. Then, Cecile heard Lloyd shift slightly. "You have no faith, Cecile."

Said woman opened her eyes quickly, too shocked to formulate an answer. Her boss still gazing towards the machine, a soft, smug expression of happiness apparent on his face. "Huh?" _Was I wrong? Does he actually like my cooking after all?_ Suddenly, she felt bad for immediately assuming the worst of her employer. _Maybe he just isn't hungry._

"You think modifications to the Lancelot Albion are pointless, don't you?"

Cecile sighed, realizing that he never had any interest in her food at all. It would only ever be about Knightmares with him. She nodded in hesitant agreement, however, to the question he had posed.

"Don't discount our devicer just yet," he continued. "He's always pulled through in the end, and I don't expect him to stop now."

The interaction was incredibly optimistic for Lloyd. "How do you know?" she asked, her eyes pleading for reassurance that the boy she had grown so fond of may one day return. Chances were slim, but perhaps he had truly succeeded in assassinating the emperor. Maybe he chose to report directly to Schneizel afterwards and was currently helping finish negotiations in the former Area 11. The territory was once the boy's home-country, after all.

Lloyd turned to her and began to laugh jovially. "Because he loves Knightmares just as much as we do, that's why! The Lancelot's just as much his baby as it is ours! He wouldn't abandon the project without a proper goodbye." In his bout of joy, the man even reached over and removed a cookie from the tray, placing it into his mouth to eat.

The use of "ours" wasn't lost on Cecile, and she was glad to know that Lloyd had finally decided to acknowledge that the Lancelot was indeed a collaboration. _And he even ate my cookie!_ When her partner's feature's twisted slightly in response to the food, Cecile sighed and decided to content herself with only the first victory. Beginning to doubt anyone else desired her cooking at the moment, Cecile began to consume her concoction herself. _Delicious!_

Then, the door opened from the other end of the hangar with a loud hiss. Cecile turned and promptly dropped her cookies onto the floor. The snacks crumbled upon impact and scattered as the platter itself settled with the ringing of metal.

There he stood, just as Lloyd had promised, his clean, white uniform pressed and neat as usual. The brunette's hair curled into his face, slightly obscuring the stern expression he'd commonly worn for the past year. But, his appearance didn't matter to Cecile, who had come to view the boy as much more than an employee or, later, employer.

"Suzaku!" she yelled, breaking out into a sprint. The knight had been making his way across the hangar already, so the two met in the middle as Cecile wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Lloyd smiled at the scene, glad not only because his prediction had just come to pass, but also because both his assistant and his devicer deserved this 'heartfelt' reunion for all of their hard work. Heartfelt may have been a strong word, however, considering Suzaku's expression still hadn't wavered from the serious one he initially wore as he entered. Something had definitely happened to the boy in the last year, and it had broken him. No longer did he express that naïve smile he once did every day after school as he chatted with Cecile about the antics of his friends, the student council. Princess Euphemia's death and his promotion had a profound impact on him, and Lloyd always held a small concern in the back of his mind that the boy's mental state may have become fragile enough to render him an unfit pilot. Yet, the knight proved him wrong again and again, always outperforming every expectation of the Lancelot…

Lloyd lost his train of thought as he glanced down at the mess of Cecile's cooking on the ground. Finally, an excuse to throw out her foul disaster. He pointed to the fallen cookies. "Attention! Someone come clean this up, but use the proper protective equipment! It's a class C hazard!"

The workers paled at the code word. _Cecile's cooking_. They reluctantly pulled on their gloves and glanced at each other without moving, daring someone to take the lead.

"Come now!" the scientist exclaimed, flailing his arms above him. "We don't have all day!"

Oblivious to the insults surrounding her, Cecile squeezed the boy closer to her body, disregarding all formality. "We were so worried about you!" she said in his ear. Were her eyes watering? "I mean, you know Lloyd. He'd never admit it aloud, but I'm sure he thought it all the same." The woman forced herself to pull away and stand face to face with her still stern-faced friend. Her eyes drifted downwards in involuntary subordination. "We missed you, here around the lab. And I'm not just referring to the last month either." When she looked back up again, the knight's features had softened slightly, his eyebrows quirking upwards and his lips unconsciously forming the ghost of a smile that displayed a noticeable emotion: gratitude. _He's still there. That Suzaku from before._

Still caught in the moment, Cecile felt like Suzaku's reemergence indicated something else of importance, but she couldn't quite remember what it was. What had the knight left to do in the first place anyway…? That was it. "Suzaku, if you're here, then what happened to the emperor?"

Cecile instantly regretted her words as the boy's expression hardened once more. If only she could preserve his joy for just a little longer. He certainly deserved no less. In response to the inquiry, the knight spoke for the first time. "I think that conversation would be best held in private, Miss. Cecile."

The woman followed his shifting gaze to the workers who had begun cleaning up her fallen treat. Already, a few of them had cocked their heads slightly in what may have been subtle eavesdropping. Oh, yes, none of them needed to hear mention of treason. Treason. Still, the word tasted bile in her mouth, but if it was for Prince Schneizel and Suzaku then…

Suzaku stepped in front of her to address the Camelot employees. "Men!" They (grateful for the distraction) halted their task immediately and turned their attention towards their beneficiary. Lloyd frowned at the interruption, but he supposed news of the emperor was a justifiable reason to delay hazard clean up, even if said hazard was Cecile's cooking. "Please wait in the breakroom while I discuss my absence with Professor Lloyd and Miss. Cecile. I will debrief you as soon as I've finished."

"Yes, sir!" they chanted, happily abandoning their unwanted task in exchange for an unscheduled break.

Lloyd watched their departure before turning back towards his assistant and devicer. As the break room door closed, he finally asked the question he'd been holding in since the boy's initial appearance. "Suzaku, aren't you going to introduce us to your classmate at the door?"

Classmate at the door? Cecile turned around, and sure enough, a raven-haired boy leaned against the door frame in what appeared to be the uniform of Ashford Academy. How had she not noticed him before? His eyes swept over her in such a manner that indicated indifference, yet the educated woman knew he was trying to form an impression of her and, probably, Lloyd as well. His gaze was a cold violet ( _like the emperor_ , a fleeting thought told her), and it betrayed cunning. Danger signals buzzed in her head, but Cecile pushed the feeling aside regardless. He couldn't possibly be a threat if Suzaku brought him. Still, they were about to discuss confidential information involving treason, information that the student shouldn't have access to unless Suzaku chose to divulge it himself. "Suzaku, is it okay that he-?"

Cecile was cut off not by the boy she addressed, but by a chuckle from the other at the door. She watched as he straightened his posture and strode outwards. "Is it alright that I stay for your conversation regarding the former emperor, Charles zi Britannia? I would hope so, considering it was I who killed him."

That certainly had not been the response Cecile expected. After a quick glance to Suzaku (who sighed and nodded in confirmation of the claim), the woman couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the mysterious boy and the triumphant smirk that adorned his face in response to his own audacious proclamation. Her mouth hung open considerably, thoughts of shock not very well hidden on her features. Even more surprising, Lloyd mimicked her expression perfectly from behind her. It took a lot to catch the scientist off-guard. This situation however, was an exception. Sure, the duo could imagine Suzaku, a trained soldier and ace pilot with close military connections, being able to _maybe_ get lucky and attack the emperor during a moment of relaxed security, but this scrawny schoolboy in front of them… _He barely looks like he could snap a twig. How did he get involved in this plot?_ Yet, that aura of confidence…Cecile reflexively shivered. Something was amiss with the teen.

"My, my, what an interesting development." Lloyd had snapped out of his stupor and now began to really take in the anomaly before him. He started walking towards his assistant, asking aloud, "Are you one of those young 'irregulars' I've heard mention of, perhaps?" Suddenly, the man found himself within a foot of the boy. "I don't recall ever seeing you in military affairs before. There also aren't many teenagers besides our Suzaku here that would decide to up and murder leader of the world's largest nation." Lloyd's eyes lit up. "How did you do it, then?"

"Lloyd!" Cecile tugged him back by his lab coat until he remained by her side once more.

"Ow! What was that for?" he whined, smoothing his coat.

"You're being rude to our –" she stole a wary look at the boy. "– guest. At least give him the chance to introduce himself first before you demand information of him." _Even if he did just nonchalantly claim to have murdered the emperor. And with blatant pride as well. How can he stomach it, being Britannian himself?_

The boy looked slightly past Cecile – presumably at Lloyd – with a hint of amusement. "Yes, I suppose proper introductions are in order, Professor Asplund, Miss. Cecile Croomy," he stated, nodding at each in turn. If his knowledge of their identities surprised Cecile, what came after left her completely speechless. The boy crossed his arms over his chest and pronounced, "My name is Lelouch vi Britannia, the eleventh prince of the Holy Britannian Empire."

No one spoke. Cecile heard her heart beat in her ears. _Royalty?!_ She could feel the blush invade her cheeks as she began to panic. Immediately, she bent at the waist begging, "Please forgive us for our disrespect, Your Highness!" _The emperor's own son killed him? Is this just a battle for succession?_ She looked up slightly to put the prince into her view. _What exactly is going on here?_

[Suzaku scowled. _Even now, he can't help but be dramatic._ He had reclaimed the title of eleventh prince so that they could fulfill their plan, but the knight still felt uncomfortable with his 'friend's' expectation of receiving the royal treatment once more, if only to demonstrate his authority.]

The prince – Lelouch, he said his name was – waved his hand dismissively. "Rise. What need have you to apologize when I've removed myself from Britannian politics for so much of my life?" Cecile stood and glanced at Lloyd, who probably had never bowed to begin with. _Speaking of disrespect…_ She couldn't read his expression clearly, but he seemed to be regarding the prince with curiosity, as if he were some scientific novelty. Granted, anyone would consider the boy an anomaly by definition of royalty. His school uniform spoke volumes about where he had been recently. _Hiding in Area 11 and attending school with Suzaku…?_

Lloyd finally spoke, keeping a straight face as he did so. "A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."

 _A pleasure to…_ Cecile looked from one man to another, confused. "You mean you two haven't met before? Aren't you always around the royal court since you're nobility, Lloyd? Isn't that how you knew Princess Euphemia before her public debut?" The woman didn't notice the two teens both flinch at her mention of the deceased princess.

"Yes, although…" The professor eyed up the prince before him, a look of suspicion apparent. "This one I recognize but can't recall ever meeting in Pendragon." He then addressed Lelouch directly once more. "Exactly which of the late emperor's imperial consorts is your mother, then?"

Cecile was about to snap at her superior for disrespect once more, but she instead found herself pondering his question instead. She did recognize the name 'vi Britannia,' but who… suddenly a name came to her, the syllables forming on her lips before she could think to remain silent at the revelation. "Viceroy Nunnally…"

Immediately, she regretted speaking. The prince's once-smug face wavered in expression for only a few moments before he regained a more stoic composure, but it lasted long enough for Cecile to at least discern the emotion present: pain. He even seemed to turn a few shades paler than his already-light complexion, his brows furrowing slightly as well. A little voice inside her head berated her for her inconsiderate words. _Nunnally vi Britannia was among the casualties of the F.L.E.I.J.A. disaster in the Tokyo settlement. Of course her brother would mourn her death. He may carry with him authority and arrogance, but in the end, isn't he just a boy as well?_ Cecile bowed deeply in an attempt to remedy her mistake. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I didn't mean to – "

"Yes, Nunnally vi Britannia was indeed my sister," Lelouch stated, interrupting the woman's apology. She nervously stood again as he continued. "She wanted nothing more than a peaceful world for all people, and as such I had planned to deliver her one. However, I believe our own opportunity for peace was stolen from us the day our mother, the late Empress Marianne, was murdered in cold blood and my dear, innocent sister was left both blind and crippled in the aftermath. I confronted my father to demand an explanation of her incompetent security forces, but he disregarded my request entirely, instead exiling my sister and me to Japan as political hostages, a punishment for our 'weakness.'" His eyes shone with a fierce anger that threatened to set the entire workshop ablaze. "When Britannia invaded Japan, Nunnally and I became caught in the crossfire at the Kururugi shrine," he continued, briefly shooting a glance towards his childhood friend. "Since that day, our lives had been fraught with constant war and danger. Conflicting ideologies led to increasing violence between factions until finally…"

The boy paused to swallow, his fury dissipating as he did so. "I was never so presumptuous to assume that we could hide in the shadows forever. I had always planned to one day deliver retribution to the man who wronged not only his citizens, but his own children as well. Recent events, however, accelerated this process tremendously. And now…" A menacing grin emerged along the prince's slim features as he extended his arms outwards. "…here I am, ready to finish what I've begun, with your help of course."

The scientists remained silent at the proclamation for several moments. As Cecile finished processing the prince's tale, Lloyd stepped forward a bit, and Cecile wondered if he was going to ask the logical follow-up question to what they had just been told. _What do you want with us, Your Highness?_ Instead, what came out of his mouth seemed almost inconsequential in the context of the boy's origins. His eyes had grown wider, almost in childlike glee. "You're the son of Marianne the Flash?"

Even Lelouch appeared confused at the outburst, probably anticipating the same question as Cecile. If he expected to predict Lloyd's behavior, this prince still had a lot to learn concerning the eccentric man. The boy stood still with his arms outstretched, his brows tilted slightly upwards. Slowly he lowered his arms to his sides. "Yes…"

"Are you a devicer as well, then?"

The pieces simultaneously clicked together in the minds of the prince, the knight, and the assistant. _Of course, Knightmares. What else would matter to the man?_

[ _Some things never change_ , Suzaku thought. He smiled inwardly as he imagined how Lloyd's non sequiturs would surely derail Lelouch's perfectly calculated plans. Already, the knight could discern his friend's look of slight irritation. _Serves him right to be humbled by an unpredictable reality every once in a while_. His mood fell as a darker thought emerged. _Right now the situation is amusing, but if Lelouch gets too frustrated…I need to be ready to intervene._ ]

Then, to everyone's surprise, Lelouch lightly beamed, as if he had just received a compliment. "I suppose I could be considered as such, however I am no match for your ace. I am but an above average pilot at best."

Cecile furrowed her brows. _When would he have piloted Knightmares? He had been hiding from Britannia for years and seems to have no military ties._ Lloyd's single follow-up question addressed just that from an engineering standpoint. He seemed pleased of the prince's response. "Which models have you piloted, Your Highness?"

Lelouch looked off to the side and answered in a nonchalant manner, "Well, I've controlled the Ganymede during multiple festivals at Ashford Academy over the years."

"But, surely that's not all…? You speak as though you're experienced. And I wonder, if not from the Britannian military, from where are the Knightmares coming that you would pilot?"

The prince stared at the scientist for a moment before breaking into another one of his characteristic smirks. "You certainly are perceptive, Professor Asplund. As for your question, I assure you my time spent hiding in Japan had not been spent idly. Every day, the resentment towards my family, especially my father, grew insurmountably until I finally received the opportunity to change this tumultuous world. Rakshata's supply of Knightmares were but a steppingstone in my own plans."

That name registered immediately with both scientists. Cecile's eyes grew large. "Rakshata, but she's been collaborating with…"

"The Black Knights," her boss finished for her, his expression containing more disdain as he did so. Mention of the Indian woman always brought a sour taste to his mouth. "And I suppose this makes you part of their ranks."

The boy chuckled. "Yes, you could definitely say that."

"You used the terrorists to enact revenge upon Britannia itself." Lloyd stated it as a fact, not a question. No anger lined his voice, but perhaps a hint of curiosity, or was it…admiration?

Lelouch looked directly at the scientist but chose to ignore the previous remark. "You asked what models I've piloted. Originally, I used a Sutherland and later a Burai. Then…"

The boy laughed once more. "Forgive me, Professor Asplund, though I'm sure you are still bitter over how I pilfered your Knightmare, I must compliment you on your extraordinary craft. The Gawain was nothing short of a masterpiece, and even after its destruction, its parts continued their usefulness from within Rakshata's own design, the Shinkiro."

Both engineers visibly paled at the prince's statement. _The Gawain? The Shinkiro?_ Though the general public may not pay much mind to the names of specific machines, the duo made sure to memorize every possible one they could, including the specs. And those two frames…after the Gawain's capture on Kamine Island, they had only been piloted by one man, the most infamous man in the Britannian Empire, if not the world: the man who had stolen the Gawain in the first place, who had incited a rebellion in a small colony which had soon grown like a wildfire, who had never once revealed his face behind the opaque purple mask, who had apparently perished during the Second Battle of Tokyo. That man…both scientists sensed the immediate danger and instinctively reached for their hidden weapons in their coats.

Cecile started to speak but couldn't finish her sentence because she simply couldn't fathom the idea. "That would make you…"

"Zero," Lloyd finished.

[Suzaku rolled his eyes at the roundabout way Lelouch had gone about divulging this information to the scientists. They had planned to reveal the identity of his alter ego at some point during the conversation, but of course Lelouch felt the need to turn Lloyd's odd inquiries into a lead-in for a cryptic dramatic reveal. He desperately wanted to berate the former revolutionary himself, but he had promised to remain in the background during the exchange. Apparently, _His Majesty's_ independence would be necessary to create an imposing image of royalty. Suzaku swallowed his frustration and remained silent, however he cautiously eyed the pair of engineers as they reached towards their weapons…]

Cecile fumbled with her pistol, looking down at her coat briefly. Realizing she'd taken her eyes off the hostile (she tried to remember her minimal military training from years prior but realized by now that she had already significantly botched up protocol, especially when facing Britannia's most dangerous enemy), the woman returned her eyes upwards and froze when she noticed that the Knight of Seven had stepped in front of the revolutionary, holding his arms outstretched as if to act as some sort of shield.

He glared at his former guardians. "I will not allow any harm to befall His Majesty!"

Cecile felt as though invisible hands had seized her heart and begun to squeeze. Never before had Suzaku looked at her with such…it wasn't hatred, no, maybe hostility. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that, knowing the boy before her, he would stubbornly take a bullet in order to protect his new charge.

"But, Suzaku, why would you defend Zero…?" A realization hit her. "He killed Princess Euphemia!"

Suzaku flinched, and Cecile thought she may have made a mistake in providing that grim reminder. But then, his features softened and took on a more somber appearance that reminded Cecile a little more of the naïve boy he used to be, the boy she had grown to love as a mother would her son.

"I am well aware of his past actions, Miss. Cecile, and I do not plan to overlook his behavior even now. I do not and never have agreed with his methods, however what he is planning…this is the only way to ensure that humanity can at last achieve the peace it's always desired. I cannot expect you to trust him – I certainly don't as of now and we've been friends for years – but trust me instead: what we are trying to accomplish is for the betterment of humanity, and if I discover that Lelouch has lied to me for yet another time, I promise I will deliver just punishment for not only that betrayal, but for every other sin he has committed."

The woman's eyes widened at the proclamation as Suzaku's own softened. "Please, Miss. Cecile, we need your help as well as Lloyd's and I request that you at least hear Lelouch – Zero – out."

The boy stepped aside to reveal his now-grim-faced companion beside him. Cecile glanced between both boys, trying to come to a decision. On one hand, if Suzaku had agreed not only to follow Zero, but to risk his life for him, a man Cecile knew firsthand he had once despised, and certifiably so, then she figured the man had to have some merit behind his plans. Even if she personally feared the revolutionary, she respected Suzaku as at least a friend. Yet…she found it hard to condone all the atrocities Zero had committed: killing Euphemia and Clovis, using underhanded ambush tactics in battle, somehow sneaking collaborators into key government areas, exhibiting a blatant disregard for citizen casualties in battle, stealing the Gawain, kidnapping the Chinese empress, and now slaying the emperor. But hadn't Suzaku set out to accomplish that last goal already, under Prince Schneizel's orders instead? And she and Lloyd had condoned the act as well. She glanced over to her partner, but it seemed as though he had already formed his own thoughts on the matter.

He smiled, turning to Lelouch. "Do you happen to have the Shinkiro with you?"

"Of course, and I planned already to offer it to you as part of our deal. If you agree to work for me, you may do what you wish with the Shinkiro, granted you assist me in developing an advanced Knightmare fleet as well as a few other projects I have in mind. I will provide you with ample funding, of course."

Lloyd's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas day, but soon he pouted. "Does this mean you expect me to collaborate with that Indian madwoman as well?"

Obviously knowing who Lloyd referred to, Cecile ignored his specific question and focused instead on its broader implications. This man had apparently created one of the best fighting forces the world had ever seen, yet here he was requesting aid from the enemy's lead engineers. _What exactly is he planning with an 'advanced Knightmare fleet'?_

Lelouch pursed his lips slightly. "Presently, the Black Knights and I are not on what would be considered good terms. I pose this deal to you not as Zero, but as Lelouch vi Britannia. In fact, I plan to hang up the mantle of Zero to avoid a conflict of interest, since I have already cleared my initial objectives. So, to answer your question, Professor Asplund, you will receive complete autonomy in your work, save my personal oversight and direction. Will that suffice?"

Before Cecile even had a chance to process the new information given, Lloyd had already begun to respond. "Well then, you don't need to convince me any further, _Your Highness_. When do I start?"

Cecile sighed, knowing the argument had basically ended, though reservations and unanswered questions still floated around in her mind. "Alright, if both Lloyd and Suzaku are already on board…I guess you can count on my services as well, Your Highness." The woman gave a small bow as a sign of good will towards the prince, hoping that she wouldn't soon regret her choice.

"Excellent."

As she stood, she noticed the prince had already glided past her farther into the hangar, inspecting the weaponry present. Apprehension welled up inside Cecile. What had she just gotten herself into? Treason? Taking orders from an eighteen-year-old tactical genius and former terrorist? When she graduated from the Royal Academy, this scenario had certainly never crossed Cecile's mind. Yet, here she was, and most likely she could not turn back now. _There would be consequences_...

The prince turned back to the group and addressed them. "Now let us begin our business." His violet eyes scanned over the people present. Suzaku tensed. "As my knight stated previously," Cecile choked at those words but froze as the prince turned her way. He'd heard. Nevertheless, he continued, "I have conceived a way in which we can successfully end the constant wars occurring worldwide, stirred by conquering nations such as Britannia. Besides myself, this plan is currently only known by Suzaku and another accomplice of mine. I will be detailing it to you, but it is imperative that nothing leave this room." He glared. "Am I clear?"

The man and woman nodded.

[What Lelouch neglected to mention was that he never wanted to divulge the full implications of either his plans or his past to the two engineers. He would have much preferred to ensure the pair's cooperation by subjecting them to a temporary Geass for the next several weeks, but Suzaku had adamantly refused, going so far as to demand he reveal the full truth to them instead. Lelouch, needing to keep his knight's minimal favor, reluctantly obliged to the request, surprised that the boy had apparently grown so close to the enigmatic scientists during his tenure in the military.]

"Good." The prince retrieved a phone from inside his uniform, checking the screen. He looked upwards again, slightly irritated. "I had hoped that my two other collaborators would have arrived by now to hear this as well, but it seems they've encountered some delay. Excuse me." He turned his back to the slightly puzzled development team and proceeded to dial a number. He held the device to his ear.

"It's me."

A long pause followed as some frantic apologies could be faintly heard over the line. Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "Separately? I recall specifically instructing you to take her in your own frame."

"…"

Lelouch relaxed a little. "At least you tried to stop her, no matter how futile your actions were in cornering that witch. Where is she now then?"

Though barely audible, Cecile thought she may have heard the word 'pizza.'

"Forget it then. It's a lost cause. Next time, provide me with an immediate update." A fervent 'Yes, Your Majesty' could be clearly heard. "Come directly to the hangar when you arrive at the Avalon."

Lelouch hung up and turned back around. "It appears as though only one of my other collaborators will be joining us today. He should arrive momentarily." The boy took a deep breath. "In the meantime, would you care to show me the Albion project, Professor Asplund, Miss. Croomy? According to my knight –" Cecile flinched again, this time less noticeably. " –the project is most impressive and – though as you can imagine I've had decent _exposure_ to it in the past year – I've never been provided the opportunity to examine the Lancelot up close."

Lloyd giddily stepped forward at the mention of his pride and joy. "Please, Your Highness, no fancy titles. Call me Lloyd. And there's _nothing_ I'd rather do. Tell me, how much do you know about Knightmare mechanics?"

Lloyd and Lelouch began heading towards the back of the hangar, Suzaku following the prince in step. His knight…Cecile swallowed at the thought. Suzaku was Princess Euphemia's knight, not this threatening boy's. Worse yet, that _boy_ had _killed_ Princess Euphemia. Why had he agreed to follow him? Even with their past history of friendship, there had to be another reason. Everything felt…wrong.

Cecile eventually sighed. Thinking too hard wouldn't remedy the situation. For now, she had to simply put faith in Suzaku's judgement. Who knew? Maybe Lelouch really would change the world for the better. She smiled at the optimistic thought, watching the three men converse in front of the Albion. Cecile herself had opted to hang back, already understanding the schematics of the machine and knowing that everything she could contribute to the conversation Lloyd would gladly do for her. Their voices echoed, and Cecile finally registered the lack of noise in the hangar. The staff!

Cecile ran up to the trio. "Your Highness!"

The raven-haired prince turned and met the woman with not the expected irritation and hostility but instead curiosity. He raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Miss. Cecile? Is something the matter?"

His voice was encouraging, enticing, and Cecile found herself stumbling to find the correct words, blushing slightly. _What was this?_ Slightly flustered, she attempted to speak. "Well, um…you see… while we're doing this, the remainder of our staff are still in the break room and…" She trailed off, not knowing how to phrase the remainder of her thought.

Luckily, Lelouch nodded. "I understand. You're concerned that your staff may not be willing to commit treason in order to work for the terrorist who killed the emperor. Not only that, but their refusal could also pose an immense risk to the operations occurring here while the information is known." Cecile blanched at his bluntness while his mouth lengthened into a thin, Cheshire smile. "Rest assured, Miss. Cecile. I already have the means with which to resolve this…problem."

Cecile shivered at his predatory look, missing the glare Suzaku shot at his companion. "Lelouch, we explicitly agreed –!"

"A temporary measure, Suzaku. As I recall, our agreement involved only the exclusion of two specific people, for whom you've brought countermeasures already. After our plan has come to fruition, the influence will most likely be lifted, and if not, then Jeremiah will destroy it himself. This is required for both protection and efficiency, do you understand?" Lloyd and Cecile looked to one another. For not the first time that day, they both expressed confusion.

[Suzaku frowned and turned away, frustrated at Lelouch's condescending tone. No, he wasn't happy with the decision, but he had to admit, it was probably necessary for the time being. And the Ascension would likely involve much worse.]

Suddenly, they heard the door slide open at the end of the hangar. Cecile's heart fluttered immediately, afraid that perhaps Prince Schneizel had returned or that another Knight of the Round decided to pay a sudden visit to Suzaku. Not many people had clearance to enter the workshop at the moment. Yet, who she saw enter may have surprised her even more than the previous two suggestions would have. Cecile immediately recognized the visitor, but as far as she remembered, the man had died in one of the early operations against the Black Knights months prior. _How did he even gain access to the facility without authentication?_

A teal-haired man briskly marched into the room with a sense of urgency. After scanning the area, his eyes finally rested on Prince Lelouch. He quickly fell to one knee and crossed his arm over his chest as his coat settled behind him. Bowing his head, he implored, "Forgive my tardiness, Your Majesty. Lady C.C.'s whims are no excuse for my own failure in carrying out your orders. Please punish me as you see fit."

Cecile's eyes finally widened as she realized the full extent of the man's presence on the Avalon. _Lord Jeremiah is one of Prince Lelouch's other two collaborators?!_ She supposed this Lady C.C., whoever she was, was the other collaborator mentioned, based on Jeremiah's proclamation. Obviously, her actions were far from predictable, however. Cecile took special notice in what appeared to be a cybernetic device on the man's face, wondering briefly if it came from Rakshata. _He's obviously changed a lot during his absence from the Britannian military. How long has he been with Prince Lelouch?_

Lelouch stepped forward. "Rise Jeremiah. You've caused no inconvenience nor harm so you have no need to apologize."

The man stood once more, and Lloyd straightened his glasses as he observed the interaction between the pair with an amused smile. "Hm. So I see those 'Orange' accusations held some truth to them after all." Cecile suddenly remembered the reasons behind Jeremiah's disgrace in the military: allegations of conspiring with the terrorist Zero.

Jeremiah briefly regarded Lloyd's comment with a smirk before continuing towards Lelouch. "Orange is the color of my loyalty." With that ambiguous answer, he took his place beside Lelouch as the scientists and former Knight of Seven gathered closer.

The prince spoke up once more. "Now then, since everyone is here at last – save one irresponsible woman – I will begin detailing my plans for the next few weeks. As I stated before, only Suzaku and my absent accomplice know what will occur. Jeremiah, I apologize for not informing you sooner, but I felt it would be more convenient to do it here in the presence of our other two collaborators."

 _So, Jeremiah didn't know the true nature of this meeting yet either?_ Cecile stole a look towards the resolute man, his expression betraying little emotion. If anything, she would describe it as pride. Something also struck Cecile about how Lelouch lumped her and Lloyd in as 'collaborators' so casually. _Jeremiah and this C.C. woman were already supposedly en route to the Avalon when Lloyd and I accepted his offer. The prince must have known we would agree long before he arrived._ The thought made the woman uncomfortable as the boy in front of her continued to leave a more and more dangerous impression upon her mind.

Lelouch continued. "To begin, in approximately two weeks' time, I will ascend the throne of Britannia and become its 99th emperor."

Jeremiah smirked, probably expecting this proclamation from the beginning, and somehow Cecile found herself less surprised than she supposed she ought to have been. After hearing the boy's other audacious claims earlier – that he killed the former emperor, that he was a presumed-dead prince of the empire, and that he was the most-wanted man in the world, the masked terrorist Zero – this seemed to have been coming from the beginning. Usually, one killed those in power with the intent of ruling themselves, and this boy certainly appeared to have the capacity and charisma to control a nation. _But in what manner?_

When no one spoke, Lelouch simply rose a brow slightly. "Really? There aren't any questions?"

Cecile hadn't really been under the impression that they were currently allowed to ask questions. She noticed the prince stared directly at Lloyd while he spoke. The woman frowned. _He's already formed a fairly accurate assessment of Lloyd's character, it seems._

Sure enough, Lloyd voiced an opinion as soon as he was given the option. Honestly, Cecile was surprised he'd waited so long. _He must understand the threat this boy poses as well, especially with Jeremiah and Suzaku at his side._

"Well, Your Highness, according to Britannian law, Prince Odysseus would succeed Charles in the instance of his death. I don't believe the nobility will take the idea very kindly of a disinherited commoner prince claiming the throne in his stead."

"I understand." Lelouch then turned to Cecile, his violet orbs staring directly into hers. His gaze…Cecile had to admit, it was mesmerizing. "Earlier, you said your staff are currently in the break room. Is that correct, Miss. Cecile?" She nodded meekly, trying to piece together how her staff in the break room connected to him taking the throne with the consent of the nobility. Then, the prince turned to Suzaku. "You may give them what you brought now."

Suzaku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He reached to his side, at his hip. "Lloyd, Miss. Cecile, please come here."

The two approached him carefully, unsure of what was going on. When he revealed what he held, they both quirked their brows in curiosity and confusion. Their devicer handed them each a pair of dark opaque sunglasses. Cecile looked up to the boy's face and nearly stepped back at his expression. It was solemn and determined on the outside, but he soon averted his gaze, and in his eyes, Cecile found another emotion, one much more troublesome: worry, concern. He didn't like whatever was coming next.

Suzaku then addressed them in a low tone, almost as if he didn't want the prince to overhear, though Cecile doubted that there could ever be any secrecy in this situation. "Please, listen to me. Put these on and leave them on until Le…His Highness leaves. Any time from here on out, if you are in the presence of His Highness, please wear these sunglasses. It is extremely important and for your protection. Do you understand?"

Cecile met his gaze and noticed that the concern had only grown. He hadn't shown this much emotion since arriving, and now he was desperately pleading them to heed his advice. "Please, I need a confirmation."

Cecile shook her head. "Suzaku, I don't understand what's going on here." His expression sunk. "However, I trust you and can see that, whatever this is for, it is necessary." She placed the glasses over her eyes.

Suzaku released whatever breath he'd been holding and turned towards his enigmatic former boss. "Lloyd?"

Lloyd twirled the sunglasses in his hand, seemingly torn. "As curious as I am as to what would occur if I didn't wear these…" Suzaku frowned. "…I suppose I'll comply for the time being, especially since the consequences seem less than pleasant." Lloyd briefly looked towards Lelouch before placing the glasses on himself. Cecile caught a brief smile of relief from the Japanese boy before it disappeared. She smiled herself.

Cecile heard Jeremiah's voice speak softly. "Your Majesty, you mean you're revealing-?"

"Yes, Jeremiah, Suzaku and I have an agreement." He turned to the remainder of the group. "Since that's taken care of, lead us to the break room."

Cecile faced Suzaku, expecting him to take charge, but he shook his head slightly and remained in place. Taking the cue, Lloyd positioned himself in the front of the group instead. Apparently, Lelouch took notice. "Suzaku, I need you to come as well."

The two boys stared intensely at one another. Obviously, their relationship was not as harmonious as they wished it to appear. Then, for just a moment, Cecile noticed the prince shift his gaze towards her and Lloyd ever so slightly before quickly moving it back.

Suzaku finally closed his eyes, sighed, and said begrudgingly, "Yes, Your Majesty." He walked past Cecile, not even affording her a glance, and began towards the break room stiffly. Lelouch followed with Jeremiah at his side, and the two scientists eventually took the rear.

Cecile ended up last to enter the break room, a moderately-sized space stocked with a kitchenette and about five separate seating areas. Already, the ten men inside were on their feet saluting the Knight of Seven, though Cecile noticed some of them direct their interest more towards the anomalous companion in the school uniform rather than their employer. Others glanced towards Lord Jeremiah, who had previously been presumed dead.

Cecile opted to remain close to the door as Suzaku approached the front of the room flanked by both Prince Lelouch and Lord Jeremiah, and it seemed as though Lloyd had made the same decision for the moment. She realized that her purpose in this meeting was observation, not interference. What was this about again? Lloyd had mentioned unsatisfied nobles if Lelouch were to take the throne…somehow this felt like it would amount to some demonstration, but since none of the A.S.E.E.C. engineers were high nobility, Cecile couldn't figure out exactly what Lelouch had in mind with this meeting.

Suzaku cleared his throat. "At ease, men." They lowered their arms back to their sides. "I promised earlier that I would explain my absence to you, however I will leave that responsibility with my associate. From here on out, he will officially be in charge of A.S.E.E.C. and I expect you to treat him with the same respect you have provided me. I apologize for the sudden transition, but I thank you for your cooperation and understanding." [Suzaku almost bowed slightly but caught himself just before the cultural faux pas.]

Cecile hadn't officially heard Suzaku pass the department over to the prince, but she figured it was inevitable if the boy truly planned on taking the throne. The engineers, however…their eyes had widened considerably at the proclamation, probably wondering why this was all taking place. They probably all assumed Suzaku was leaving to manage some other affairs for the empire, not that he'd be working under Lelouch…

Lelouch stepped forward as Suzaku stepped back. Cecile swore she could feel his presence materialize in the space, exerting a clear aura of power and control. "I am Lelouch vi Britannia, the Eleventh Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire."

If Suzaku's former statement shocked the men, this one shook them right to their cores. Cecile watched their expressions with sympathy; she'd felt just as confused only a few minutes prior. She heard a few of them mumble to each other. Of course, like her, none of them had ever heard of this elusive member of royalty before. However, the lack of a contradiction from the Knight of Seven served as enough proof of the 'prince's' claim of status.

He continued. "After my mother's death eight years ago, my sister Nunnally and I had remained hidden in Area 11, fearing that her killers may soon strike us down as well." _This isn't exactly what he told us._ "For the last several weeks, Sir Kururugi and I have been attending to a matter of utmost importance: the empire's lack of concern for not only its citizens, but also for the political and military affairs in which it engages itself."

By now, everyone was silent, drawn in by the sweeping waves of the prince's speech. "While soldiers sacrificed their lives in battles across both the European continent and the rebellious Area 11, Emperor Charles zi Britannia, my father, remained as nothing more than an observer, leaving the true powers to command and govern in the hands of his children, namely my brother Schneizel and sister Cornelia. Yet, as battles raged on, he left to resolve 'personal matters' or watched from above in his airship with a scowl upon his face. He referred to conquests, endeavors he himself had initiated, as trivial or trite. A king must lead if his empire is to remain unified, not simply look down on his subjects like a false God as he declares policy nothing but folly."

Lelouch let his words sink in as the engineers looked to one another warily. While his speech overflowed with power and conviction, the prince's ill-spoken words towards the emperor also bordered on treason. That combined with the sudden transfer of authority from Sir Kururugi left an uneasy feeling about the space. Lelouch breathed in and finished his announcement. "That is why Charles zi Britannia is now dead, slain by my own hand."

Silence. Cecile herself had stopped breathing at the proclamation, not quite believing what she had just heard. Then, as the room began to dissolve into chaos, so did her mind. _Is he insane?_ Cecile knew she'd been wary of the boy just a few moments ago – his authoritative composure and prior reputation combined with Suzaku's warnings left a less than favorable impression in her mind – but she didn't believe he was stupid. Now, she feared for his own safety. _Admitting to regicide while outnumbered! Aren't royalty supposed to be masters of subtlety and poise?_ Then, Cecile remembered his estrangement from the court and began to think that perhaps the prince was just naïve. _They'll never agree with him if he delivers that information so bluntly. This meeting will have been a waste._

Lelouch waited as the room erupted into commotion, all pretenses of respect and rank lost in the madness. Jeremiah and Suzaku tensed at the prince's side, but Lelouch held up his hand as if to signal their patience. Soon general confusion turned into a nervous silence once more as the men realized one by one, after assessing the prince's stoic expression, that the words he had spoken were indeed true. All of them turned to Suzaku at one point or another for confirmation. Slowly, they all began to realize one terrible fact from the knight's serious manner and desire to protect the prince: the Knight of Seven, part of the Emperor's elite force, had been involved in his murder.

No one spoke, probably out of fear, but Cecile could sense the dissention in the room. She assumed Lelouch could feel it as well, but she couldn't be sure after the tactless stunt he had just pulled. A few men glanced towards both Lloyd and Cecile for guidance, the latter suddenly pitying the group for the situation in which they'd been placed. Cecile felt a surge of guilt for hiding behind the sunglasses on her face.

The prince continued as if he had never been interrupted. "Regardless of the empire's changing state, I hope that we can all work together in a harmonious manner –"

"That's all you have to say?"

Cecile turned to the source of the voice, spotting a young blond man standing up in the middle of the group. _Eric,_ she thought, honestly surprised the man hadn't spoken out sooner. _He's always been one to speak his mind._

Lelouch regarded the intrusion with an icy expression, cold enough to make the man rephrase his statement. "I mean, _Your Highness_ , forgive my rudeness, but you are admitting to not only the sin of murder, but also to the unforgiveable high crime of treason. How can you condemn His Majesty's actions when you yourself claim to have killed in cold blood? Royalty or not, I cannot comply with your request for cooperation, and I believe many of my coworkers agree as well."

Lelouch scanned the group of engineers. "Is this true?"

Several men looked away, intimidated by the boy's glare, but some also nodded their heads in affirmation.

To everyone's surprise, the prince closed his eyes and smirked as he brought his hand up towards his face. "Well, I'm glad not all of you are cowards then. I thought I might have spoken too well earlier, to solicit such a lack of response. Now then…"

He removed his hand from his face and held it before him in what appeared to be a grandiose gesture. Cecile couldn't entirely make out Lelouch's face from where she stood, but something in his expression had definitely changed. It was somehow sterner than previously, yet more confident, as if he were the center of the universe and he were completely aware of the fact.

_It's his eyes._

" ** _Lelouch vi Britannia commands you to acknowledge his authority!_** "

Something was wrong. The power the prince exerted could have been tangible, but even that shouldn't have been enough to cull the already-provoked men. In fact, his declaration should have had the exact opposite effect, infuriating the men even further. Yet, the engineers, all of them _including_ the usually-indignant Eric, gave the last response Cecile could have expected: they stood as if they were one unit, crossed their arms over their chests in a typical Britannian military salute, and proclaimed together, "Yes, Your Highness!" The voices even contained hints of enthusiasm.

Cecile shivered and corrected herself. Something was _very_ wrong.

"At ease, men. You may be seated." They all sat down silently, _mechanically_ as if their movements were not their own. No conversation occurred as it had previously. In fact…Cecile scanned their faces and became increasingly unnerved as she noticed they all wore the same blank expression. Gone was the fury, replaced by…Cecile could only describe it as obedience or extreme docility. Lelouch turned towards her and Cecile tensed. His eyes were inhuman. Though tinted somewhat by her glasses, the woman swore they exhibited an unearthly glow, his pupils lost in their crimson seas.

"As you see, Lloyd, Miss. Cecile, there will be little direct opposition once I claim the throne, at least not from any of the nobility present at court for the event," he declared.

Cecile's lips suddenly felt too dry for her to speak or even croak out a question. Luckily, Lloyd took the initiative instead. "That's…incredible!" Cecile wished she could have mustered the strength to glare at her boss for his indifference towards his employees'…condition. "Have you somehow managed to invent the technology necessary to induce mass hypnosis in a matter of seconds?"

Hypnosis? Cecile looked back towards the statuesque men. Hypnosis involved not only subtle suggestion, but also willing subjects. This was more than simple hypnosis, though Lloyd's comparison was the only one currently making any logical sense of the situation. Somehow, the former revolutionary had managed to completely steal their sense of free will. Lelouch had become a puppet master, not only influencing their actions, but most likely _controlling_ them. This act…it was a violation of human rights and decency, not that Lloyd seemed to care in the slightest for those values.

Lelouch simply smirked in response to Lloyd's inquiries. "You may consider it instantaneous mass hypnosis if you wish, however do not mistake my power for a technologically-derived one. In fact, I admit its origins remain unclear even to me, having procured this ability from a contract with a witch."

Lloyd's expression morphed quickly from amazement to disbelief. "Are you saying that this…power is supernatural in origin?"

"Perhaps, if you would prefer to consider it as such."

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but your claim can't possibly be true. I am a man of science, and as such, there must be some basis for your ability – "

"I am afraid not, Lloyd. My power – known as Geass – enables me to issue one irrefusable command to any person with whom I make direct eye contact." Suddenly, Cecile noticed the weight of the sunglasses resting upon her face and suddenly realized why Suzaku was so insistent that she not remove them.

"Such things don't exist, Your Highness. It must be some psychological effect based in biology…have you recently been exposed to any unusual chemicals? Perhaps, like pheromones they could –"

"Have you not witnessed enough proof?" Lelouch asked, motioning to their still coworkers. "Perhaps you need more examples?" When no one responded, he continued. "Clovis's sudden lack of security in the Shinjuku ghetto. Rampant Knightmare thefts during early battles. Jeremiah Gottwald's release of Suzaku Kururugi. Zero's many underground moles and conspirators. Suzaku's sudden sense of self-preservation on Shikine Island. Lord Guilford's defection during the Second Battle of Tokyo. These events were all due to my influence. Can you think of any scientifically-based explanations for the erratic behaviors of the numerous loyal Britannians with whom I've come into contact?"

Cecile considered all of these events in her head. A supernatural explanation…surely it was an impossibility, but then again so were Zero's so-called "miracles." The woman finally realized just how underhanded Zero's tactics had been during the Black Rebellion. The obvious surprise attacks and insane plans relying on shock and "luck" that deviated from traditional, honorable battle strategy had been not only devious, but ingenious as well. This revelation though was on an entirely different scale. Zero had been actively using some "supernatural" power in order to rob men of their free will – their ideals, their loyalties, their motivations, their morals – and win battles. The act itself made Cecile understand just how dedicated the prince could be to a cause…but especially how ruthless he could be at the same time. The entire situation was morally inexcusably, but the woman certainly knew she was not currently in a place to voice her opposition.

Lloyd and Lelouch continued their banter, though Cecile's attention shifted more towards the brunette standing rigidly behind the prince. He seemed to be paying no mind to whatever Lelouch and Lloyd argued about, but instead gazed over the entranced workers, a troubled expression apparent on his face. The thought brought comfort to Cecile, that Suzaku was obviously bothered by Lelouch's power as well. He had been so insistent that she and Lloyd wear the sunglasses into the meeting… a horrible thought occurred to her then. _If Suzaku hadn't given us these sunglasses, would we have fallen under Lelouch's influence as well?_

She looked back at the prince, whose eyes still had not returned to their normal violet. On one hand, she was grateful that Suzaku was looking out for her and Lloyd, but on the other hand, if Suzaku hadn't been around (considering the mention of a "deal" and Suzaku's anger at Lelouch's plans for the meeting), would Lelouch have also used his power to…? Cecile preferred not to linger on those thoughts and instead shook her head slightly in order to clear her mind.

By the time Cecile decided to listen to the ongoing conversation between the two men, it had apparently shifted somewhat away from proving the existence of a "supernatural power" to instead examining it. "Your Highness, if you'll at least let me analyze your power then and study some of its effects –?" Cecile cringed at Lloyd's implication of utilizing Lelouch's power in an experimental manner, effectively enslaving more people in the name of science. It was times like this when the woman couldn't quite see eye to eye with her eccentric boss.

"Perhaps some other time, Lloyd, but for now, there is another matter to which we must attend." Obviously, Lelouch had tired of this conversation as well. Instead of resuming with Lloyd, the prince instead tilted his head back slightly. "Suzaku, I would never attempt to kill or permanently harm you in any way."

All of the spectators, especially Suzaku, were taken aback at the comment, not quite sure from where it had originated. The addressed boy narrowed his eyes suspiciously, yet still replied, "Of course, Your Majesty."

Cecile could barely catch what happened next, but what she saw was Lelouch nod towards Jeremiah, who had then lunged towards Suzaku more quickly than she could track. The next thing she knew, Suzaku lied in Jeremiah's arms, unmoving, yet glaring hatefully at Lelouch. Cecile felt her heart pound rapidly in her chest, concern for Suzaku pumping through her. Only one thought entered her mind. _He's still alive_.

Meanwhile, Lelouch disregarded Suzaku completely and instead focused his attention on Lloyd and Cecile, a fact the latter wasn't sure she appreciated. "I apologize for the display, but I need Suzaku immobilized for what I'm about to do. I just had Jeremiah puncture him with a needle laced in neurotoxin so that he remains paralyzed but aware for the next several minutes. I assure you, after that he will make a full recovery in due time." Cecile released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"I need you to remove your sunglasses."

Cecile froze. Her sunglasses…? As far as she could tell, those were her safeguard against whatever power Lelouch possessed. One glance at Suzaku's panicked expression confirmed her suspicions. "W-why?" she whispered more to herself than anyone else.

Lelouch took a step closer, his emotions unreadable. "My Geass has a few drawbacks in its use. For one, I require direct eye contact, hence why your devicer brought you those sunglasses, for your protection. Also, it can only be used on a person once. After that, it becomes ineffective, and I can no longer issue commands unless I had specified multiple originally."

To Cecile, this last piece of information sounded more like a godsend than a drawback, but she let Lelouch continue anyway. After all, he must have been placing a large amount of trust in her and Lloyd in order to reveal his weaknesses so openly to them. _Or he planned to get rid of the threat immediately_.

"Though I initially planned to have you two wear sunglasses whenever you were in my presence, I soon realized how much of a nuisance that would prove. For that reason, I decided upon a better course of action: I will expose you to my power now so that it will never unintentionally affect you in the future." From the way the prince had proclaimed this, Cecile wondered if he had ever accidentally used his power on anyone in the past. When he said those words, his voice had contained perhaps the smallest bit of…regret?

Cecile tried to look to Suzaku for guidance once more, but Lelouch stepped into her view before she could. "The reason I treated him the way I did was so that he would not influence your decision. However, I will let you know, as I am sure you've already surmised, that he would not approve of my actions."

Lloyd cocked his head to the side this time. "And I assume you're only revealing this because we're powerless to stop you now?"

The prince made eye contact with the engineer. "Not in the slightest. I know I've done nothing to earn your trust since my arrival. In fact, all things considered, including my reputation and actions with your workers, you probably severely _distrust_ me. I will not force you to do anything in this circumstance, however I will warn you that your hesitance may lead to a greater disaster in the future if I simply misspeak or glance in the wrong direction. I hope that by heeding my advice, we can form some inkling of trust that will carry over into our future partnership, one I expect to be greatly beneficial for both parties involved."

Cecile looked the stern-faced prince up and down. His words seemed sincere, yet he was also Zero. He ruthlessly enslaved and killed his enemies, even his own tender-hearted siblings. How could she believe anything he said? Obviously Suzaku was wary of him – his own friend – though Cecile still didn't entirely understand why the two collaborated in the first place given their rocky relationship. She didn't feel like it was due to the influence of this "Geass"; the knight had protested too much earlier in the meeting for him to have been controlled. Besides her suspicions of Lelouch's deceit, the woman suddenly realized that she and Lloyd hadn't been wearing the sunglasses for much of the meeting earlier. Couldn't he have simply controlled them against their wills then? But, perhaps Suzaku would have –

"I'll agree so long as you'll let me study your power as well." Cecile turned to her boss, shocked that he would even suggest such a thing. Lloyd simply shrugged his shoulders and fingered his sunglasses. "If it'll save me from wearing these dastardly things on a daily basis, I don't see why not."

Lelouch smirked at the scientist's odd request. "Of course, Lloyd. After all, won't you be studying its effects on yourself firsthand?"

Lloyd pouted and deflated a bit. "That's not quite what I meant, but I suppose it'll do…for now."

The prince ignored Lloyd's last implication and instead turned to Cecile, raising a brow slightly in the process. _He knows,_ she thought, _he knows that I have to agree now. I can't let Lloyd do this kind of thing on his own. After all, I'm his…_

"Well then, Miss. Cecile?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly felt terribly disoriented. Her head began throbbing, and the hangar began to warp around her, the colors blurring together. She closed her eyes together tightly and then tried blinking a few times to fix her senses. When she opened them again, the feeling had passed, but things were different than they had been before. Most notably, Suzaku was no longer lying immobile on the ground, but instead had grabbed Lelouch tightly by the collar and currently glared intensely at him.

Cecile blinked once more. "What just happened?"

Lelouch didn't even turn, choosing instead to address his attacker directly. "See, Suzaku? They're fine. I let you watch so now you have my alibi: I've done nothing to harm them or leave any lasting damage."

"That doesn't fix the fact that you broke our promise!"

"No, but now things will be easier for all of us, don't you agree?"

Suzaku grimaced. "That's not the point! You lack concern for any other person on the planet besides yourself! You said you wanted to build their trust, and here you are, breaking mine instead!"

Lelouch didn't respond, and instead the two continued to glare at one another. Finally, Lloyd broke the silence from beside Cecile. "Soooooo, are we still doing the thing with your power then?"

Suzaku snapped his gaze towards Lloyd, his eyes softening. Slowly, he released the prince and breathed in deeply. "It's already been done Lloyd. Lelouch has already exposed both you and Miss. Cecile to his Geass, you just don't remember."

 _It already happened?_ Cecile then grabbed at her face. She was no longer wearing the sunglasses, but she didn't remember taking them off. It seemed like Lloyd was doing the same thing. "That was it?" he questioned.

This time, Lelouch responded. "Indeed. No one under its influence remembers what occurred in the duration."

Lloyd appeared thoughtful. "Here I was expecting to feel my body move against my will or perhaps notice that my thought patterns had been changed. And all you leave me with is memory loss? How do you expect me to study this power with such little material to work with?"

Cecile shook her head at her boss's antics then fixed her gaze on Lelouch. "Your Highness, if I may ask, what did we do during…during…."

"During the time you lost your memory?" he supplied. She nodded. Suzaku looked away so Lelouch continued. "I told you to remain in place until Suzaku regained full motor functionality."

Suzaku turned back, a look of surprise evident on his face for such a brief amount of time that Cecile may not have caught it had she not been so familiar with his expressions. He said nothing in response to Lelouch's answer, but the look he just gave seemed to indicate that she hadn't heard the full story. Cecile wanted to press the two for more information, but she knew better than to try her luck with the duo. Regardless, if even Suzaku was staying silent when he could tell her…she would have to give the prince the benefit of the doubt, at least until something suspicious occurred.

Cecile decided to ask a different follow-up question. "So, now Lloyd and I are immune to your power?"

"Yes. For example, go sit down." She only blinked at him in confusion. "Considering you have not obeyed my orders or experienced any additional effect on your memory, I believe it's safe to say you are immune." Lelouch then swept his hands over his eyes, and they were once more the bright violet he had worn entering the facility. _Contacts_ , she discovered. Though the color still had unnatural qualities, Cecile felt much more comfortable with it compared to the eerie red.

Suzaku, finally calmed down from earlier, stated, "Lelouch, I have a question of my own for you." After the prince said nothing in return, the boy continued. "How was it that could attack me in the first place? I didn't know what you were planning to do, so that attack may as well have been aimed towards taking my life."

Lelouch, instead of answering his knight, faced the two scientists. "You've probably been wondering how I've used my power on Suzaku considering I mentioned him earlier in my examples of people influenced. On Shikine Island about a year and a half ago, I ordered him to 'live', a command that's been plaguing him ever since that day."

Suzaku spun angrily towards to the prince. "How dare you! You have no right to –!"

"Right?" Lelouch scoffed. "You asked a question that required background. Aren't you the one who suggested that we leave no secrets during this partnership?"

Suzaku muttered something about a "double standard" but otherwise remained silent. Lelouch kept speaking. "To answer your question, ordinarily I believe you would have reacted to Jeremiah's attack in such a way that it would not be successful. However, Jeremiah did not independently go after you. I motioned to him first, and you noticed after I'd already confirmed that I wouldn't ever make an attempt on your life. You must have believed me so that the Geass didn't take effect and allow you to dodge Jeremiah's enhanced speed."

"You gambled on that fact?"

"I had enough confidence in your ability to detect when I'm telling you the truth."

The knight maintained his gaze as Jeremiah stepped forwards for the first time in a while, bowing slightly in respect. "I apologize for any rough treatment, Kururugi. I was simply obeying orders."

Suzaku turned away once more, and Cecile was finally beginning to understand the extent of the two boys' dysfunctional relationship. They worked together towards a common goal, despite underlying grudges and moral disagreements. Yet…they both obviously shared a deep understanding of one another that probably extended as far back as their childhood during the war. Furthermore, they'd spent the past two years fighting on the battlefield against their home countries, albeit for much different reasons. As much as Suzaku seemed uncomfortable around Lelouch, Cecile couldn't help but notice their similarities as well.

After a small lapse of silence, Lelouch spoke again. "Before we embarked on our minor detour, I believe I was explaining the details of the next few months." He eyed the workers who still sat stone-faced a few feet away. "Let's go back into the hangar. I'll attend to this matter once our meeting has concluded." He left the room, expecting his entourage to follow. Though Cecile felt terrible for leaving her workers behind, she knew that there was nothing she could do for them. _They aren't here. Lelouch is the one in control. He could kill them. Then again, if he ordered it, they would kill both Lloyd and me in a heartbeat._ The thought sent chills down her back, and Cecile followed the prince out the door.

Lloyd, Cecile, and Jeremiah stood opposite Lelouch and Suzaku, apparently the only two who understood the extent of the prince's plans. "As I stated earlier, I will become the 99th emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire. Yes, Lloyd, the nobles will most certainly reject the reign of the missing 'commoner prince' who committed regicide against the former emperor. However, there will be no resistance from them. Rather, I will efficiently quell it whenever it appears with either my own power," he motioned beside him, "or that of my knight."

He was planning to either enslave or kill the nobility. Cecile knew she should have expected this course of action follow his reveal of Geass, yet the thought still shocked her. Suzaku shifted slightly and averted his gaze, but didn't refute any of Lelouch's claims, even regarding his own part. Cecile's eyes widened at that implication. Suzaku was planning to essentially commit murder for the prince, a terrorist he'd been fighting vehemently against for the past two years. Even Lloyd appeared uncomfortable with the idea, a fact that seemed quite strange considering his own disdain for the nobility.

Cecile spoke without thinking. "That would make you a tyrant." Lelouch's expression became somehow more serious and Cecile quickly added, "Your Highness."

"And that is precisely what I plan to become." Cecile was confused, and she could tell Lloyd and Jeremiah were as well. _Who plans to become a tyrant? Don't even tyrants believe their actions are in the right?_ "My inhumane actions are simply a means to an end, and I certainly plan to deliver upon what I promised from the beginning: a peaceful world." He chuckled a bit and seemed to focus less on the people in front of him. "Even my own actions cannot be considered inexcusable, however. After all, the only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed."

Cecile looked at the prince's face, trying to discern his expression. What did it contain, within his regal features and cold, violet eyes? Determination? Sure. Pride? Absolutely. But something else existed there as well. Hope? Resignation? Fear? Maybe a mixture of all three? Maybe none of those at all? Cecile couldn't tell, but she knew at that moment that there was more to Lelouch vi Britannia than met the eye. He was a terrorist, a murderer, a man with the power to bend others to his will, but Cecile could still see the existence of emotion behind his eyes. He was – as hard as it was to fathom – human, just like the rest of them. Lelouch claimed that he would become a tyrant, but here Suzaku was, following him, and here she and Lloyd were, collaborating with him. This boy…this man…he was terrifying, yet Cecile couldn't help but listen to his words as he spoke. Something fluttered in her chest, and Cecile stood quietly in anticipation.

Lelouch smiled, but it didn't extend to his eyes. "I have created an apt code name for my plan, the plan that will lead to the destruction of this ravaged world and the creation of a more peaceful new one in its place. I call it the Zero Requiem."


	2. Solitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Here's the second chapter.
> 
> Also, I just want to clarify the point of this anthology a little. Since I'm trying to make it as canon as possible , I won't really be covering anything post-Requiem. Not much in the series covers that time frame and I believe that any speculation would warrant an entirely different fic of its own. I had actually planned out and started a post-Requiem fic myself before the announcement of the sequel movie, but now I'm unsure if I will continue it because some of my ideas were used in the film. These stories are more of what I consider 'deleted scenes' that I consider to have happened and probably won't be directly refuted. Anything post-Requiem takes place in a world of its own, one that I don't consider omitted from the series, but simply one not continued yet. A few of the chapters I have planned for Missing Pieces, however, do involve characters being exposed to the Zero Requiem either before or during the event, but they are probably not the ones expected.
> 
> This chapter takes place during the events of R2 Episode 5 and interweaves itself with events of the episode, unlike the last chapter that contained an entirely original scenario. Please enjoy!

Villetta Nu clutched her head as she tried to sort through all that was occurring around her at Ashford Academy's festival.

_Did I just see the ace of the Black Knights wearing a green mole costume?_ A teenage girl with fiery red hair. She fit the description enough but… a mole costume?

Before Villetta could get a better view of the creature, it had already put its head back in place and dashed off to some unknown destination, obscured in the chaos of bubbles, colored fog, and confused crowds.

_Damn it. Where did all of this even come from anyway? Who in their right mind would create such a fiasco during an already-chaotic pizza-making ceremony?_ Villetta blinked. _What was the purpose of the bubbles and colored smoke to begin with?_

Villetta searched the immediate area for a member of the student council to interrogate. Her eyes settled on a dejected blue-haired teen adorned in a frilly pink apron and chef's hat. He held a megaphone limply at his side, as if he held already given up on attempting to cull the masses. She sighed, realizing that the boy was the least likely candidate of the student council to have any answers in this situation. _I suppose he'll have to do._

She marched up to him. "Rivalz Cardemonde!"

The addressed boy yelped and jumped back a little at the sudden interruption. He brought his hands in front of him and Villetta could see his face quickly turning red. "It's not my fault, coach! I swear!"

The woman noticed his gaze drifting downwards to her chest as she remembered her current attire. _Shirley, when I'm finished cleaning up this mess, you'd better watch out._ At this point, she knew one thing for certain: Rivalz would not provide her with his full attention while she still wore the revealing silver bikini. She scowled a little, unintentionally frightening Rivalz more. _Teenage boys and their hormones…I'd better make this quick._ "What's going on here?"

He tensed and gulped. "W-well, for a while the pizza ceremony was running just fine. We'd spread the batter properly this time, the tomatoes had been collected into a giant bin, and Lelouch and Rolo cut all of the toppings – "

"Get on with it."

"– and then things started going wrong! Suddenly some crazy guy was driving the Knightmare frame instead of Suzaku and then everything just fell apart." He pouted. "And here I thought it was finally gonna work this year…" Then, as an afterthought, he repeated, "but I had nothing to do with it!"

Turning towards the Knightmare, Villetta spotted a blonde teenager in the cockpit, laughing and chatting with an angry Knight of Seven below. _Who the hell could be piloting…?_ She paused, realizing exactly who that boy was. _The Knight of Three?! When did he arrive in Area Eleven?_ The OSI operative spent a moment weighing her options. She considered scolding him herself for his lack of responsibility and professionalism, but upon realizing he reported directly to the emperor, she decided that she'd leave that matter alone for the time being.

Villetta sighed. "I understand that part, Rivalz, and it appears as though Suzaku is taking care of the matter. But where did the smoke and bubbles come from?"

Rivalz looked around as if noticing the mess for the first time. Scratching the back of his head, he replied, "Huh. I have no idea. I think the pyrotechnics club may have been in charge of effects like that."

"The pyrotechnics club? Are you sure? There wasn't even a fire! Wouldn't the chemistry club be more likely to pull this kind of stunt?"

Rivalz shrugged, and Villetta decided then to turn away and leave. _Why does this school even have a pyrotechnics club? With the antics that occur here, that's an accident waiting to happen._ An image popped into her mind of Milly Ashford creating the "World's Largest Bonfire" in the main courtyard, and she shivered a bit. She decided then to seek out the club for herself.

Luckily, the smoke and bubbles had begun to clear. Pyrotechnics… Villetta didn't know any of its club members. After a few minutes of searching, she passed by a group of nervous-looking boys. They grew quiet as she approached. After passing, she spun quickly and said, "You there!"

Their eyes snapped up to hers, yet no one spoke. She continued. "Where can I find the pyrotechnics club?"

All they provided in response was a sheepish look and accompanying silence. Villetta decided to press on. "Who was in charge of releasing the smoke and bubbles?" When still no one spoke, the woman realized they must have feared punishment for their actions. She breathed deeply, relaxing both her posture and her expression in the process. "Look, none of you are in trouble. I just want to know what went wrong so we can fix the problem in the future. It's obvious from how you're behaving that you know the answer, so as a teacher, I am demanding the truth. So, speak if you know what's good for you."

There was a slight pause, but eventually a boy with short dark hair stepped forwards. He looked at his feet in shame. "I'm sorry, coach. It's my fault. I accidentally set off the smoke and bubbles too early."

She raised a brow. "Too early? When were you supposed to set it off?"

"I-I don't really know. I was waiting for a signal from the vice president. He's the one who usually coordinates everything during the festivals."

Lelouch. It shouldn't have surprised her. After all, everything always seemed to lead back to that one boy. Villetta checked the expression of the guilty party once more, noticing the confused look on his face. "Is something wrong?"

He snapped up, startled. "No, it's just… sorry for the trouble, coach."

She sighed. "It's fine. Just be more attentive next time, okay?"

He smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes ma'am."

The OSI operative began to walk away, but she kept listening in case the boys began speaking to each other once more. She was glad she did because she soon heard, "Wow, you sure got lucky with that one!"

"What are you –?"

"There's still no way you could 'accidentally' input an entire sequence of code. Though I must admit, you put up one hell of a show in front of the coach.

"Cut it out! I'm not lying! I told you already, I must have just been really out of it!"

"Yeah, enough that you can't remember entering multiple commands in the exact order necessary to create a show. I know you always love watching this kind of chaos, so just 'fess up already, man!"

"But I really don't remember!"

Villetta froze. Ordinarily, this exchange would be viewed as a pretty convincing confirmation of guilt, but these were not ordinary circumstances, not with the nature of her mission. _Lelouch, memory problems, the ace of the Black Knights._

The woman shivered, hoping her guess was wrong. She quickly brought out her phone and pressed the speed-dial. A young voice answered after two rings. "Yes?"

"Rolo, where are you and Lelouch right now?"

"He just ran off to find the president a moment ago, and I'm currently cleaning up all the unused pizza toppings. Is something wrong?"

Villetta frowned at the status update. "You're getting sloppy Rolo. Go find him immediately. There have been some unusual events at the festival, and I suspect your _brother_ may have had something to do with them." She paused. "I'm calling an emergency staff meeting at 1800 hours in the usual location to review any footage from this afternoon. Go alert the others for me. I need to finish up a few things beforehand."

"Right. I'll go do so immediately and report back once I've confirmed the location of the target."

"Good." Villetta hung up and looked down at her exposed body. _First thing's first: I need to get out of this atrocious outfit._

* * *

_Bzzt. Bzzt._ "What is it?"

"Big brother, we have a problem."

"Go on."

"Coach Villetta just called an impromptu meeting of the OSI at six to review the footage from this afternoon. It sounds like recent events have cast her suspicions upon you. She wants me to alert the other teachers. Should I neglect to pass on the message?"

"…ordinarily, this would spell trouble, but I've recently stumbled into some information that I believe could be very useful in this situation. This may actually be the perfect opportunity to turn the tables on the OSI and begin using it to our advantage. So, Rolo, can you do me a favor?"

"Of course, big brother."

"Don't tell the others about this meeting. Instead, I need you to intercept Coach Villetta in the operations room at the appropriate time. I'll meet up with you then, so hold her in place until I arrive. I'll take over from there. Can you do that?"

"Easily."

"Good, thank you Rolo. See you then." _Click_.

* * *

Villetta stretched her arms in her usual red dress and white sports jacket. This was more like it. Finally, she could move in comfortable attire that covered the appropriate areas while still accentuating the curves of her body. At least she was now protected from the unrelenting dopey-eyed stares from the hormonal teenage boys at Ashford Academy. Well, it now wasn't any more than usual that it impeded her job.

Villetta crossed through the library, surprised at how quiet the atmosphere seemed. _I guess everyone's enjoying themselves out at the festival._ She pulled out a book and waited as the bookshelf slid to the side, revealing a hidden elevator behind. The woman stepped inside and began her descent. _If my hunch is correct, it's possible we're all in danger right now and don't even know it._

She stepped out and walked into the command center. Villetta looked around at the monitors and nearby table, realizing something important was missing from the scene: her staff. She pulled out her phone, checking the time. _6:02. I thought I was a few minutes late. What're the chances that everyone else is as well?_ Then, a thought occurred to her. _I bet the students roped them into cleaning up the mess as well. As diligent as Rolo is, he's still no match for the combined will of the Ashford student populace._

Speaking of the boy, she noticed for the first time that he was leaning against an adjacent wall. _Was he always here or did he just use his Geass to come in?_ Villetta had to admit, the young assassin, though an excellent operative, made her incredibly uncomfortable. She never forgot that he, like their target, bore an accursed power. Villetta knew exactly how dangerous he could be, but also admitted that collaboration would be necessary in order to achieve their mission. "Rolo, did the others give any indication of when they'd arrive?"

He stood up a little straighter. "No, not particularly." His eyes shot over to the elevator, and Villetta noticed. _Is he that anxious to get this over with? I guess even this insensitive boy can have fun at an Ashford Academy school festival._

The two stood in silence for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Eventually, Villetta decided to get something done while they waited. She turned towards the papers on the conference table, intending to sort through them. In the background, she heard the whir of the elevator, though she didn't pay it too much mind. What did register, however, was the definitive click that emerged from behind her.

Villetta froze, looking upwards. _I know that sound. Everyone in the military knows that sound._ She spun slowly to face the entrance, her gaze meeting the barrel of a pistol in the process. Her eyes locked with those of the boy brandishing the weapon. He held his head high, exposing his cold violet eyes beneath his sandy hair. The assassin's expression showed one of conviction, enough that Villetta knew he fully intended to shoot her if she moved, and one paranoid thought dominated her mind as to his intentions, a conclusion she didn't want to believe but still jumped to regardless. "That's it Rolo? You've turned traitor?" The question came out more uncertain than she had expected.

Before the boy could answer, the elevator opened and Villetta heard a voice call out to her, "Villetta Nu, the woman who was awarded the title of baroness for ascertaining Zero's real identity." Her eyes widened. Oh, she recognized that voice. It was one she'd heard every day for the past few months as she observed the boy. Yet, the commanding tone he used…she hadn't heard it since the days of the Black Rebellion, and it still haunted her memories. That voice of absolute confidence and authority: it made its listeners know their complete insignificance in the presence of its owner. She knew, with those words, that Lelouch Lamperouge had his memories back. The woman berated herself internally. _I knew something was wrong, but it seems as though I was too late._

He continued as he approached from the elevator, dressed in his usual school uniform. "But unknown to most, you are connected to the Black Knights."

Her heart froze. _He couldn't possibly know._ "Not true! I never betrayed –!"

"Ohgi Kaname." Villetta stepped back, not even remembering to hide the fear on her face. _Where did he discover our connection?! I buried those times during the Black Rebellion as thoroughly as I could so they'd never resurface again. That life never existed as far as I'm concerned, and no one can be allowed to hear about it now!_

In accordance with his nature, Lelouch made sure to confirm her terror. "If word of your relationship with him ever got out, you'd have to relinquish that title you worked so hard to earn." He paused as she processed his indirect threat. "Why not be reborn as someone new?" Then, her world shattered around her as the OSI operative realized that her coveted status as a respected member of society had suddenly been placed in the hands of an ambitious terrorist with the power to control the wills of other people. At that point, Villetta was absolutely certain. _This is blackmail of the worst kind._

The boy pulled out a package. "Oh, yes. Shirley gave me this to give to you. The timing works out nicely." He untied the ribbon, reveling a bottle of wine. Though she tried to hide it, the woman knew her terror showed. "Happy birthday, Coach Villetta."

A million thoughts swam through her head as Villetta studied Lelouch's 'gift.' _He wants me to betray the empire and defect. I can't allow that to happen, not with this boy at the helm of the opposition. But if I don't…_

The whirring of the elevator sounded once more, and Villetta's hopes soared. She eyed the boys. _They thought they could confront me alone if Rolo didn't relay my message, but it seems as though that's fallen through._ The woman expected the two to flee, giving her an opportunity, but she froze when she noticed their facial expressions had not wavered at the intrusion. _Damn, Rolo's Geass._

The doors opened, and one of her staff stepped out. Villetta quickly turned, hoped Rolo's Geass had a limited range, and told the man, "Go! Get help immediately! Rolo's betrayed us!"

The man didn't move, and for a moment, Villetta feared Rolo had somehow targeted only him. Then, the man spoke calmly in response, "Is something the matter, my lord?"

Lelouch smirked, and Villetta realized her mistake immediately; any hope she had of an easy solution left her. _This is why they approached me now, not to get me alone, but because they had already finished their preparations._ No, it wasn't Rolo's Geass she had to fear. It was Lelouch's.

"I'm the only one left, aren't I?"

She didn't specify her meaning, but she didn't think she needed to either.

Lelouch turned slightly to acknowledge the man's presence, not answering her question directly. "No, there's no problem at all. Keep assisting in the clean-up operation, and report back to me at the end of the night."

"Yes, sir."

The man left, and Lelouch followed after. He paused in his stride. "I will be utilizing this command center as my own beginning tomorrow. Please report at 0800 hours sharp." He entered the elevator and turned around. "I'm glad we could reach an agreement, coach." A second passed, Rolo disappeared, and Villetta watched the elevator doors close before her. A palpable silence settled in the room.

_He knew. Lelouch had studied my character well enough to know I'd choose a private disgrace over a public one._ Villetta eyed the bottle of wine still sitting on the table. _I just can't afford to get caught now._

Villetta wondered if Rolo had perhaps succumbed to Lelouch's Geass himself. The idea didn't sit well considering Rolo could easily neutralize the older boy if he had perceived a threat. _Rolo joined Lelouch by choice, not like my staff who were negligent in wearing sunglasses as they were supposed to when alone with him._ She reconsidered. _Though Rolo could also remove them if needed._

Looking around the command center, not much had changed. A few screens displayed shots of Ashford Academy. Chairs remained askew, and papers still lied strewn across the table haphazardly. The silence though…it was suffocating. Villetta had felt loneliness when placed in command of her unit. Unlike in the Purist faction, where she could at least converse freely with men like Kewell or even Lord Jeremiah, she felt estranged when given new responsibilities and the ability to issue orders. Her men: she'd let them down. Her negligence allowed them to fall prey to Zero, losing their volitions in the process. And now, Villetta remained as the only one left to 'choose' – however wrong it would inevitably be – and the only one left to feel the guilt of her actions.

_This is solitude._

Villetta unscrewed the bottle of wine and downed a large swig, for once not caring about proper etiquette. She swallowed the fiery liquid, letting it burn as it travelled down her throat, sealing her contract with the devil incarnate.

_Damn him._


	3. Knight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, next chapter here. This time, we focus on Guilford following the Second Battle of Tokyo and how he learns of the events occurring around him. The story is pretty dialogue-heavy so I apologize if it seems not much is going on, but I hope that the character reactions are at least interesting to imagine.
> 
> As a general note of something I forgot to mention earlier, I'm writing these stories with a particular rule about Geass in mind: the red rings around people's eyes seen in the anime to signal the influence of Geass will be treated as viewer cues only. That being said, they don't exist in these stories, as no one really acknowledged them in the show and I fell as though the concept would have been exploited in some capacity if such a blatant tell actually existed.
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy reading!

The man groaned. For some reason, his whole body felt incredibly weak. A dull pain throbbed across his being, everything tingled slightly, and he got the impression that he hadn't changed positions in a considerable amount of time. In fact, although he believed he was currently lying on his back, he didn't remember going to sleep, nor did whatever surface he lie on feel nearly as soft as his own bed.

He tried to peel his eyes open to discern his location, separating the lids from beneath a thin layer of crust, but he immediately regretted his decision. For his efforts, he was greeted by a _searing_ white light, one that made him feel as though he had landed right in the middle of the sun. It burned, and he quickly shut his eyes again to save himself from the sudden, explosive pain. Even when closed, his eyes played tricks on him as bright colors danced in his vision.

The man decided to try a different course of action instead. He placed both of his hands at his sides, something that took much more effort than it should have, and began to slowly raise himself upwards into a sitting position. He started to become aware of a steady beeping beside him…

A female voice rang out, "No, my lord! You mustn't do that!"

Suddenly, he heard the unidentified woman rush over and push him slightly back down onto the bed. He struggled a little, but the woman pushed down farther with unexpected strength. _What…I should be able to overpower her without a problem…_

"I understand that you may be a bit confused, but if you move too much right now, you may interrupt the healing process and reopen your wounds."

Wounds. At that word, he froze. When the woman had entered, she had evidently left the door open, because the man could now hear the excess commotion occurring in the hallway. Though he had already figured out part of the answer, he asked the obvious question anyway. "W-where am I?" His voice came out weak and raspy, a sound he was unused to hearing from his mouth.

"One of the only remaining hospitals in the Tokyo Settlement. My name is Hanna and I've been your primary caregiver during your stay. It's been a bit chaotic here dealing with the massive number of casualties following the battle and…explosion, but we've been trying to treat as many patients as we can handle. Of course, considering your status, Lord Guilford, you've been receiving priority medical treatment, which was certainly required considering the extent of your injuries."

Hospital. Massive number of casualties. Battle. The extent of your injuries. _What battle occurred recently? The one the Black Knights had begun following the Emperor's interruption of the United Federation of Nations charter ratification? And how did I end up in an ordinary settlement hospital instead of one associated with the military?_ The last thing Guilford could remember was assisting Prince Schneizel in his operation to apprehend Zero at the Kururugi shrine and then…nothing. _Why can't I remember?_

While he thought on this, the nurse continued. "We found you in a quite-critical state. You had multiple broken ribs and limbs, you were bleeding internally, and you sustained severe burns across your entire body. Most of this has been patched up for the time being, but don't be surprised if you find any new scars. I suppose your eyesight is probably sensitive as well. All things considered, you're lucky to have survived at all. _"_

Guilford heard her summary, but something far more pressing than his injuries bothered him. "There was a battle?" he heard himself ask. "I can't seem to recall some of the details."

There was a small silence as the woman seemed to contemplate this fact. "That's…unusual, but I suppose the amnesia could be a result of the concussion you've sustained or a psychological response to the severe trauma you've endured. Either way, it should only be temporary, but let me know if there are any changes to your memory."

The knight nodded in acknowledgement as the nurse paused, considering her next words. "You said you don't remember the battle. Would you like me to relay the details I know? I'm a little hesitant since it appears you may have unconsciously blocked the sequence from your mind. Hearing of the events again may possibly worsen your condition, though the chances are slim."

 _Remain in ignorance? Absolutely not. I have a duty to serve._ "No, please continue. I'm aware there may be a risk, but it's more important that I know what occurred."

The woman sighed. "Of course, my lord. I figured my warnings wouldn't be heeded, but I thought you should be aware regardless. I apologize if during my account some things are unclear, but many of the details have not been published yet, and I doubt many people outside of the military are aware of them all. I'll tell you what I can, however."

She took a deep breath. "I guess it all began when Zero and the Black Knights formed to so-called United Federation of Nations with many of the other fractured states that remained in the Chinese Federation and E.U. Do you remember that at least?"

"Yes, and then His Majesty declared the upcoming war as one not only for the fate of Area 11, but for the fate of the entire world," Guilford recounting, clearly recalling at least that declaration. "Then, the Black Knights began multiple skirmishes at key military locations that seemed too weak to be an actual assault. I don't remember anything past these facts."

There was another short silence. Guilford wished his hearing were good enough to discern the woman's body language, but the noise of frantic footsteps in the halls drowned out any small noises from his own room.

"Well, I suppose that makes things a little easier then," she continued. "We heard the news begin to report on those 'skirmishes', as you say, and assumed that the military would quell the 'rebellion' soon enough. It wasn't until after sunset that we realized our mistake. Suddenly, the power cut off across the entirety of the Tokyo Settlement and all was plunged into darkness and silence, save for the colliding Knighmares above."

Guilford opened his mouth to ask a question, but Hanna continued anyway. "Before you ask, I don't know how the blackout happened, only that the Black Knights had somehow caused it." Guilford suspected Zero to have had a hand in this strategy, but that would have been impossible unless he escaped Prince Schneizel's custody. How could a student have caused the greatest empire in the world this much trouble over the past year?

"The battle raged on, and the power slowly began to be restored in certain sections of the city. With the progress, we hoped the battle would soon reach our desired resolution. News crews started filming again, and even they seemed optimistic. Then, the explosion happened." She paused to gather her thoughts. When she next spoke, Guilford could hear a shift on her voice, the onset of more emotion. "It was the most devastating event to happen to maybe anywhere in the world in recent history. The blast was massive, enveloping a large chunk of the city in its blinding pink light. Then, it was gone. And so was most of the settlement."

Guilford stiffened. Gone? Just like that? No wonder the hospital was so crowded and the devastation from the battle was this extreme. Thankfully, his family was back in the Homeland, but he knew many others in the military were not that lucky. They had wives, husbands, and children living in the settlement. These people hadn't been involved in the battle, and now they'd paid with their lives. "What are the estimates of casualties?"

She sniffed, and Guilford had to wonder how many people she'd lost in the explosion. "No one's sure of the numbers. We'll probably never be sure, but I've heard rumors of millions, perhaps tens of millions."

Guilford breathed sharply inwards. Those numbers were unheard of; it was essentially the entire settlement. He started feeling nauseous just thinking about the destruction. He'd been dulled to some number of civilian casualties during his time in the military, but this was on another level entirely. Nothing could cause that much devastation, unless… Guilford couldn't remember this battle, but he could remember Prince Schneizel developing a new device with the Einstein girl. "Who fired the weapon?"

"Considering it was centered on the Government Bureau, I can't imagine it was anyone other than the Black Knights, though I never thought they would have obtained that advanced of technology."

 _Did the Black Knights steal the weapon from Prince Schneizel?_ Guilford didn't really want to consider the alternative so he focused instead on what else the nurse had mentioned. The Government Bureau. "What of Princess Nunnally?"

"I don't know. If they didn't evacuate the Bureau, I can't imagine she's still alive, but I, at least, am still holding out hope that she is. The poor girl, losing her mother, her sight, and her legs. She's already suffered through so much." Her words didn't do much to soothe him, but it was still better than a confirmation of his fears. "But I suppose there's hope. After all, we found you in the rubble. You sustained severe injuries, and no one expected you to survive. We assume you were caught in the periphery of the explosion. That's most likely why you're currently experiencing difficulty with your vision. You should probably keep your eyes closed for now. And as I said before, don't move too much. You've been in a medically-induced coma following numerous surgeries."

Medically-induced coma? "How long have I been here?"

"About two weeks."

Guilford swallowed, realizing he'd missed quite a lot in his absence. "Please, continue. What happened after the explosion?"

"The fighting stopped. I don't think anyone really wanted the weapon to be used, considering its level of destruction. Prince Schneizel and Princess Cornelia negotiated a ceasefire with the Black Knights and have been working with them to restore peace to Area 11."

Guilford almost sat up again before he remembered his place. Joyously, he asked, "Princess Cornelia? She's alive?"

"It sounds as though she'd been a prisoner of the Black Knights, but that's all I've heard."

Guilford had no words to describe his relief. His princess, she'd finally returned. He had to get out of here and return to her side once more. The knight resisted the urge to ask more about his liege, knowing the nurse before him would likely provide no further information. He instead continued the previous discussion. "Then what happened?"

"Well, that's about it. The Black Knights and the prince's forces have been working together to restore order to Area 11. It's strange how the battle turned out considering its stakes. Despite the His Majesty's claims, it seems to have only impacted Area 11. The territory isn't sovereign as the Black Knights desired, nor have I heard any further news regarding the newly-formed U.F.N. His Majesty was expected to address the empire afterwards, but for the past two weeks, it's been quiet. We're in a lull, and right now we're all simply mourning the losses."

Guilford remained silent, a little confused about why the Black Knights would ever cooperate with the military. Then, he received his answer. "There was one consolation from all of this however." The knight turned towards her voice, curious. "It's been announced that Zero has perished in battle."

The man's heart almost leapt from his chest. Zero? Dead? The thought was inconceivable considering how much of a thorn he'd been in the empire's side. For him to just be dead… it would explain the strange behavior of the Black Knights at least. With the bastard gone for good, perhaps there could finally be peace. An image of a motionless schoolboy soaked in blood entered Guilford's mind, and he did his best to block it out. "I almost don't believe it."

"I didn't either. But the Black Knights announced it themselves, and I don't know why they'd lie about such a thing."

There was still something bothering Guilford, however. For Zero to die in battle, he would have had to escape from Prince Schneizel first. That meant Guilford had failed his duty as a knight of Britannia. _Damn it, what happened during that confrontation?_ He knew only one thing: the nurses didn't have any of those answers.

Hanna walked to his other side and adjusted some of the machinery. "My lord, I've told you all I know. There's a television in the room, if you wish to hear any more. But, please, as I've said, don't make any sudden movements. We'll start some physical therapy in a few days and we'll have you out of here as soon as possible, I promise." She bent over, and it sounded as though she scribbled something on a piece of paper. "You have the room to yourself so please enjoy your privacy as well. I've already spent too much time in here and must tend to my other patients." Guilford could hear her leaving. She paused in the doorway. "I'm glad you're feeling better." He could hear footsteps once more.

"Wait." She stopped. "Thank you. I appreciate how much you've assisted my recovery and helped me understand everything that's occurred in my absence.

She gave a small smile, one the knight couldn't see himself. When she spoke, the nurse's voice contained a hint of something he couldn't quite identify. "Of course, my lord." Then, the woman left, closing the door quietly behind her.

* * *

A week later, Guilford showed measurable signs of improvement. For a few days, he remained bed-ridden, confined to his own thoughts and the occasional company of either the only running news on Hi-TV or the few doctors entering his room for a check. Then, as Hanna promised, he began physical therapy. It had been hard enough to sit up on his own, and it was then that Guilford realized just how much muscle tone he had lost during his hospital stay. He'd begun to walk a few steps at a time, but he figured that in perhaps another week he could progress to using crutches. At least, as a consolation, his vision had improved enough for him to open his eyes, at least while wearing dark glasses to filter the light. Any physical improvements were welcome. They meant moving closer to leaving and returning to Princess Cornelia's service.

The one thing that didn't improve was his memory. The knight still couldn't recall the battle, the explosion, or Zero's escape, and no one in the hospital seemed to have any of the answers he required. Guilford had begun to lose hope of ever filling in the remaining gaps, until one day, the solution came to him instead.

Guilford sat in a wheelchair one day as Hanna wheeled him back to his room following physical therapy. They turned the final corner, and Guilford spotted someone familiar speaking with some of the doctors at the nurse's station. Though it had been months since he last saw her, the woman's tied-back silver hair was easily recognizable even now. "Villetta Nu?" he inquired.

Villetta stopped her conversation and turned towards the speaker, her eyes widening. For some reason, her hand travelled down to her hip instinctively, her guard raising. "Lord Guilford, is that you?"

Mistaking her apprehension for disbelief regarding the circumstances, Guilford replied somberly, "Indeed, though I apologize for my appearance. I wish we could have reunited under better conditions."

Hanna stopped pushing once she realized the two knew one another. "If you'd like somewhere more private, my lord…"

"Yes, let's continue this conversation in my room."

Villetta promised the doctors she'd return soon then followed the knight and his caregiver to a nearby room. Meanwhile, Guilford felt relieved knowing he could finally gain information from a more-reliable source: military personnel. Though she still wouldn't know anything about Schneizel's operation to capture Zero, at least she'd probably know exactly what occurred during the battle. Guilford vaguely wondered to where she had disappeared between the days of the Purist faction and now. It was obviously some other portion of the military not associated with Cornelia's or his own forces in Area 11.

They entered the room, and Guilford asked Hanna to assist him onto his bed. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders for support and then guided him as he shuffled over. He sat down, satisfied that he could now meet Villetta's gaze with his own at eye-level. "Hanna, please leave us. There are some… private matters we need to discuss."

The nurse glanced towards Villetta, who stood stiffly beside her. Then, she nodded. "Of course, my lord. I'll be in the hall if you need anything. Just yell." She exited, and the two knights remained alone.

Guilford pondered what to ask the woman first. About the battle? About the current negotiations? About the explosion? About the Black Knights? No, only one question could be asked at a time such as this. "Princess Cornelia… how is Her Highness?"

Villetta blinked as if she hadn't anticipated the question. "Fine, as far as I know. She's been with the Second Prince ever since her release." Guilford breathed outwards, glad to hear another confirmation.

A silence settled in, and the two stared uneasily at one another. Guilford thought Villetta might be nervous to speak one-on-one with a known official such as himself, but he noticed for the first time that her eyes contained a stronger emotion: suspicion. He could tell by looking at her face that she was prepared at any moment to flee or…

"Is something the matter?" he inquired politely, narrowing his eyes slightly.

The woman flinched. "N-no, my lord. I'm just surprised to find you here is all. We'd all assumed you perished in battle."

"So it seems." She was hiding something. Villetta's expression resembled fear much more than relief. Was she afraid that he would berate her for not retrieving him sooner? Certainly, that wasn't her fault. Guilford decided to continue with small talk. "Why did you come to this hospital, Nu?"

"Combing for survivors. I visited here a few weeks ago and decided to check again. The doctors never mentioned you were staying here."

Guilford considered this. "I was in a coma until about two weeks following the battle, so perhaps they wished to conceal my patient information until they knew for sure I'd pull through. Apparently, my Knightmare was caught in the explosion, and I sustained severe injuries."

Villetta's eyes widened. "Apparently? Don't you remember?"

Guilford frowned. He hadn't meant to use that word, but it did give him the opportunity to finally get some answers. "No, I can't seem to find any memory pertaining to the battle or the events immediately leading up to it. The doctors have assured me that the effects are most likely temporary."

She visibly relaxed, and Guilford wondered why she would be more willing to trust an amnesiac. Had something occurred during the battle that she didn't want him to know? Villetta's expression hardened, and Guilford suddenly felt as though he would soon become the one interrogated. He wondered when Villetta had become so confident. All of his memories of her involved utmost respect towards authority, especially that of the then-leader of the Purist faction, Jeremiah Gottwald.

She pulled out her phone and began scrolling through. Not looking up, she said, "Lord Guilford, I need you to look at something for me. Please be completely honest."

She turned the phone to face him. The screen displayed a picture of a school boy donning the Ashford Academy uniform he'd seen Kururugi wear on numerous occasions. His raven hair fell lightly into his face, accenting sharp amethyst eyes. The boy, even from only a picture, gave off an air of self-confidence. "Do you recognize this boy?

Guilford could swear he did. The boy looked so familiar, and the knight swore that he had once told himself to commit this face to memory. But where had he seen him? Guilford thought back, focusing specifically on the duration of time where his memory failed him, for he felt that space was most likely where the familiarity originated. He could remember this boy, he knew he could… his head tingled.

Then, he realized where he'd seen that face.

He paled and looked at Villetta, trying to formulate a response. "Yes, I do, however I'm not sure if your level of clearance allows me to discuss –"

She turned off her phone and glared directly at him, her earlier apprehension lost. "My level of clearance? I know we haven't spoken in months, my lord, but in that time, I've been employed in the service of His Majesty. My level of clearance is certainly high enough to hear this information, and, to be frank, is probably higher than your own. Now, I apologize for my rudeness, but I need you to tell me about this boy. This is a dire matter of national security."

Guilford gulped, realizing that, indeed, he had become the one on trial. _So, this is where she'd gone._ He maintained a neutral face. "That boy… is Zero." Her expression didn't change. "Although it appears you were already aware of this fact."

She nodded. "Yes, I am. For the past several months, I've been conducting surveillance on him as part of the Office of Secret Intelligence."

 _The Office of Secret Intelligence reports directly to the Emperor himself._ Guilford knew this fact, but that made the situation even more confusing. "His Majesty already knew about Zero's identity? Then why wasn't he arrested immediately and put back in prison after he escaped in May? Prince Schneizel only found out about it through Kururugi!" Then, it hit him. _Kururugi also reports directly to His Majesty. What the hell is going on here?_

Villetta sighed and closed her phone. "Lord Guilford, I will be frank with you. The information I know on this matter is highly confidential and certainly above whatever clearance level you have as either nobility or Her Highness's Knight of Honor." Guilford's hopes dropped, doubting Villetta would disobey orders from the emperor. "That's why, when I disclose this information to you, you must swear to never reveal your knowledge or my breach to those connected to His Majesty."

Guilford looked directly at her. "No, you mustn't. No matter my questions, I cannot allow you to commit treason –"

"Princess Cornelia already knows everything I'm about to tell you. You'd hear it from her eventually, and at least in this environment you'd have time to process it all before facing her. This information also directly pertains to you, Lord Guilford, and though you may fear retribution for whatever knowledge you're about to obtain, the punishment for your ignorance would be much greater."

 _If Princess Cornelia already knows…_ "I guess my protests will not sway you. Continue, then. Tell me everything you can about this boy, Zero."

Villetta pulled up a chair and sat down in it. "This is going to get complicated. Please stop me if you have any questions." Guilford nodded and she continued. "To begin, I need to address something important in particular. There exists in this world a… power of sorts. It's known as Geass, seems to be supernatural in origin, and varies in its effects. People with this power, they've been able to stop time, read minds, and heal incredibly quickly, among other things. Zero is one such boy who holds this power, as well as His Majesty."

Guilford, despite himself, actually chuckled a bit in response. "You expect me to believe this nonsense, Nu? That both Zero and His Majesty possess some supernatural power? Please, you must have a better explanation for recent events than that."

"Your memory loss, Lord Guilford." He felt the moisture leave his mouth, as if he hadn't had a drink in ages. "The doctors said it's a temporary effect of the explosion, but has it improved at all since then?"

 _No_ , he thought, but stayed silent, not wanting to confirm the woman's implications. She went on. "I experienced the same problem after my Knightmare was stolen in Shinjuku. General Bartley and his men claimed memory loss after the assassination of Prince Clovis. And Lord Jeremiah, he couldn't remember any details of Suzaku Kururugi's release to Zero nor anything pertaining to the so-called Project Orange."

Guilford tightly gripped the sheets beside him. _And here we'd all thought they were crazy, creating a convenient excuse for their obvious negligence or irresponsibility. Now I have no choice but to believe their tales, at least if I'm going to get to the bottom of my own condition._ "Are you saying Zero's altered my memories somehow? With this power of his?"

"It's almost a certainty."

The knight thought for a moment. "Then why would His Majesty let such a dangerous individual loose, especially if you claim he himself also held such a power?"

"During the Black Rebellion, I don't know how, but Zero was captured by Kururugi, leading to his promotion to Knight of Seven. But there were, I believe, two reasons why His Majesty did not execute Zero there on the spot. First, in relation to my own mission, His Majesty believed Zero would attract other Geass users, and I assume he wanted to either kill them or harness their powers for his own strength, I don't know. His Majesty's power, unlike Zero's which is more extensive, involves purely memory manipulation. He made Zero forget who he was and implanted him back into Ashford Academy to use as bait. While Zero acted the part of an ordinary student, the OSI watched him for any signs of his memory resurfacing or other Geass users coming to his aid."

Guilford frowned. "Obviously you failed in that regard. Zero managed to return just as powerful as before, and perhaps even more so."

"Yes. If I've learned one thing out of all this, it's to never underestimate that boy."

"But, you said there was another reason?'

"Well, unlike the other reason that His Majesty directly stated to the OSI, this one is more implied by the identity of Zero. I think you may be able to figure out the reason with only your connection to Princes Cornelia. The boy was going by the name of Lelouch Lamperouge, though it was a thinly-veiled alias."

 _Lelouch… what an odd name…_ It sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it… Something said by Princess Cornelia floated back to him from before they arrived in Area 11.

_"So, we're heading to Area 11… already, that damned colony has taken too many lives. Curse Zero, and every damn Eleven living on that godforsaken island! I promise, I will avenge not only my brother Clovis, but also my dear siblings Lelouch and Nunnally, who left this world much too soon! I will bring those terrorists to their knees, I swear it!"_

The siblings had been sent to the colony following the death of their mother, Marianne the Flash, and had presumably died there during the war. Princess Nunnally had been found alive after the Black Rebellion, however[AF1] …

_'Suzaku, do you know where my brother is?'_

_We'd all thought she'd been delusional, too traumatized from her injuries, the war, and living the last few years in poverty to be making any sense. Why else would she be asking for her dead brother?_ But, based on what Villetta said, the boy had in fact been alive all this time as well. He looked up at Villetta, his expression somber beneath the dark glasses. "What became of Viceroy Nunnally?"

She averted her gaze. "Even I haven't heard anything regarding her fate. You'll have to ask Princess Cornelia or Prince Schneizel themselves."

He said nothing in response and Villetta examined his body language. "I'm assuming you've figured it out then?" He nodded, grimacing, not wanting to admit the horrible truth. "The true identity of the terrorist Zero, the most infamous man in the world and the scourge of the Britannian Empire, is none other than the former Eleventh Prince, Lelouch vi Britannia."

The knight sighed in resignation. "We'd always wondered how an Eleven could possibly be so well-versed in Britannian military strategy. Intelligence pointed towards a European or maybe even Britannian origin, but for a prince of the empire to betray his own country, his own people, his own family? It's inconceivable. Why would he ever do such a thing?" Guilford thought back to the boy and the picture Villetta had provided him. _Violet eyes…the trademark of the royal family._

"Power," the woman spat. "He used the terrorists already active in Area 11 to build an army. Zero never cared about their rights or freedoms as he said. He used them as tools to fight Britannia itself, most likely staging the largest coup possible to eventually take over the most powerful empire in the world himself."

Guilford remembered pictures he'd seen in Cornelia's possession, ones of her and Princess Euphemia playing in the gardens of Pendragon with the younger vi Britannia siblings. He said aloud, "It's a shame. Princess Cornelia always adored both Princess Nunnally and her brother. Now, both have gone beyond hope."

Villetta simply snorted in response. "Don't take pity on the boy. Have you forgotten everything he's done until now? All the trouble he's caused? I've been observing him for the past several months, including the time when he's been recently acting as Zero once more. Don't you remember how 'fair' your duel went when he freed the other members of the Black Knights from imprisonment? He's a lying snake, the most cunning and manipulative bastard I've ever met in my life."

Guilford's mouth hung open in shock at Villetta's openly malicious speech towards a member of the royal family. She noticed the knight's shock and soon realized her position. "Forgive me, Lord Guilford, I'd forgotten I hadn't finished explaining yet. Most of what I say was spoken in reference to the nature of his Geass power."

Guilford blinked. "You mentioned this so-called 'power' would explain my lapse in memory, but you also claimed the emperor, and not Zero, had the ability to alter people's memories. What exactly can he do then?"

Villetta sat in silence, probably deciding how best to explain. She turned towards the TV briefly before facing Guilford once more. "I have a flash drive with some important battle footage contained on it. If you'd like, I can show you exactly what happened during Prince Schneizel's attempt to capture Zero at the Kururugi shrine. I… don't know if you'd believe what I'm about to tell you any other way. I have no other physical proof besides your memory loss."

Guilford agreed quickly. "Yes, I'd like to see it immediately."

Villetta sighed. "I apologize, Lord Guilford, for what you're about to see."

She pulled out her laptop from a bag she'd been carrying and connected it to the TV via a cable. Guilford watched intently as she went into her documents and opened up various folders. Inside one labeled 'Geass LvB', she clicked one labeled 'Potential Victims.' Multiple rows of folders appeared before him, displaying many names he recognized almost immediately. _Jeremiah Gottwald, Villetta Nu, and Aspirus Bartley: Villetta had mentioned those before, but Suzaku Kururugi, General Darlton, Princess Euphemia, and even Princess Cornelia? What the hell has been going on this past year?_

Villetta opened a folder marked with his own name to reveal three videos and multiple text documents. She double-clicked the first video and the file immediately popped open.

As the footage began, Guilford recognized the source as the archived feed from one of the other supporting Knightmares aiding Schneizel in his effort. The view centered on the black car parked at the entrance of the Kururugi shrine. An enraged boy sat in the back, glaring at what the knight presumed to be a video screen before him. _Lelouch_ , the man reminded himself. _That boy – that prince – Lelouch, was the most dangerous threat to have possibly ever faced the Britannian Empire._

Guilford watched the boy in the video, just as the pilot must have been doing. Then, the view shifted so the camera focused on the top of the car rather than the side. _The Knightmare must have activated its float unit. I'm watching from one of the Gareth units piloted by the Glaston Knights._ Guilford could no longer make out Lelouch's form, but he had a better view of the Vincents on the ground.

Nothing happened for a minute, but then one the units began to move. Not only did it move, but it slashed the roof clean off the car below and began to extend its hand to the captive below. _Impossible! These are some of the best men I have at my disposal! None of them would ever –!_ Then the knight finally recognized which unit had acted. _A Vincent Command type? But the only one using that particular model was –_

The voice of one of the Glaston Knights – Claudio, perhaps? – cut through the intercom and Guilford startled. "Stop it, Lord Guilford! What are you doing?!"

The man then heard his own voice reply back words he didn't remember saying. "Have you gone mad? How dare you hold her captive like that?" Guilford kept his eyes on the screen as the Knightmare carried Zero off to safety away from his captors. The video ended.

Guilford didn't shift his gaze. "Th-that was my voice."

"Yes, it was. Currently, you are under suspicion of high treason for aiding in the escape of the terrorist Zero."

He snapped his head towards her. _But that can't be me! That's a mad man! Who would set Zero free but one his own collaborators?_ "But I didn't do that! I would never even think of betraying the empire! I'm Princess Cornelia's royal knight! You have to believe me!"

"Lord Guilford, at what point do your memories begin to fail you?"

"I was standing guard…" Then, Guilford realized where the conversation was headed. "Zero's power. You said it explained my memory loss, but it didn't strictly involve the manipulation of memories. Could it have…?" He trailed off, fearing what her answer might be.

"Memory loss is only a side effect of Lelouch's Geass. His actual power is one of much more malicious intent: when the boy issues a direct command, the victim has no choice but to obey. Nothing can be remembered during the time the victim carries out the order."

"My memory gap spans for the entirety of that day." Guilford felt sick to his stomach. "You're saying that for the hours encompassing the battle in Tokyo, the one I can't remember, I was…"

"Under Lelouch's control. You acted under his orders and fought alongside the Black Knights. There's even video evidence." She clicked the two remaining videos one by one, and Guilford watched his own frame destroy Britannian Knightmares. "I'm sorry to say, Lord Guilford, but you've clearly committed treason according to the footage."

Suddenly, the woman's earlier apprehension and readiness to draw arms made complete sense. "And you were afraid I was still acting under his orders when we first reunited." Guilford nervously shook, realizing that he had no discernible way to determine if his will was, in fact, his own. "Is that even possible?"

"It's certainly possible, depending on how he phrased the command, however I don't believe his Geass is affecting you now Lord Guilford. No other victims could recognize the memory loss until outside of its influence. You are not to blame for the acts you committed, that I'm sure."

He began to whisper, more to himself than his companion in the room. "Regardless, how could I face Princess Cornelia?"

"She knows about this problem Lord Guilford. It's why I decided to share the information with you. We'd hoped that, since you'd been presumed dead, the cover-up could be ignored. Now, when you return to Her Highness's side, you can confidently refute any accusations, and she will likely support you in any claims. Without the proper knowledge, you may have been locked up and disgraced for a crime you didn't commit."

 _Like I did to Jeremiah Gottwald. Thank God I am not resigned to his fate. How ironic it is that karma has decided to pay me such a visit._ Guilford could only formulate one response. "Thank you."

Villetta looked away and said flatly, "It's nothing."

A silence befell them before the knight spoke again. "I suppose this explains how Zero was able to perform his so-called 'miracles' as well."

Villetta snorted. "Miracles? More like tricks. Any times reports referenced his 'underground collaborators,' the information was severely lacking. He could – and probably did on numerous occasions – walk into restricted areas and command personnel to assist him. They'd comply then conveniently commit suicide to hide the evidence."

Guilford felt anger building up inside him. "That coward! No wonder he could manage to topple all of Tokyo's infrastructure at once."

"You went from 'prince' to 'coward' pretty quickly."

Guilford hadn't noticed when the perceptual change had occurred, but only one thing was for certain. "I could never honor a man who uses others for his own gain in such an inconsiderate manner."

"Glad to hear it. If you think that's bad, you should be aware you've only heard the tip of the iceberg."

The man shuddered. "Worse than turning loyal soldiers –" _and royal knights_ "– into traitors and then forcing them to kill themselves to eliminate collateral?"

"For starters, after he regained his memories, Lelouch practically enslaved my entire OSI unit in charge of surveillance to ignore any abnormalities in his behavior. He then managed to win over my best operative – one also in possession of Geass – and subsequently blackmail me to keep quiet about the whole affair."

The more Guilford heard about this boy, the less appealing he sounded as an adversary. At first, the knight couldn't comprehend the thought of a Britannian student waging war against his own empire. Now, Guilford could clearly imagine a purple-eyed youth playing chess with Prince Schneizel and studying war tactics with Princess Cornelia who decided he needed a much bigger stage on which to play. "If there's one thing the reports didn't exaggerate regarding Zero, it would be his cunning and intelligence. Imagine if he fought alongside Britannia instead of in opposition. With that boy as a commander of real armies, wars would have ended long ago."

"In flames and with massive casualties you mean," Villetta said dryly. "That boy is a demon and cares nothing for who he has to destroy in order to achieve his goals. One only has to look at the SAZ – " The woman cut herself off, realizing she'd said too much.

"The Specially Administrated Zone? All one remembers of Princess Euphemia's plan is the massacre…" His eyes widened beneath his glasses. "Of course. I knew it didn't make sense that Princess Euphemia would order the death of anyone. That girl wouldn't hurt a fly! Yet, right after a private meeting with Zero…"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't going to bring up that issue, but I suppose the topic got me heated. Yes, Zero used his power to order her to kill the Elevens. The backlash provided the necessary support for the Black Rebellion, and it only cost thousands of lives. We even have a recorded confession of the incident taken at the Kururugi shrine."

Guilford found himself speechless. The boy forced his good-hearted sister to kill his own supporters in order to incite a war. "Despicable. And now Princess Euphemia's name has been soiled to account for her brother's transgressions." After a moment, he added, "We can't even inform the public. Any attempt to clear her reputation at this point would undoubtedly result in us being deemed liars. They'd be much more likely to believe their martyred 'hero' rather than the aristocracy claiming the existence of supernatural powers."

Villetta shifted uncomfortably and noticeably frowned. "Martyred…if only it were that simple. Then, we'd only have to make peace with the new world superpower and clean up the remnants of the remaining resistance groups. No, what we have right now is a dangerous anomaly on the loose, one with the power to bring the world to its knees whenever he chooses."

Guilford froze. Previously, he'd been listening to all of this 'Geass' information as if it were something in the past, something that had once ruined many lives but could no longer be a threat with the death of its master. But if what Villetta said was true… "Zero – Prince Lelouch – is still alive." _She's also been speaking in present tense regarding him,_ a small voice told him.

"We're not sure, but it's a strong possibility. He hasn't appeared since soon after the use of the F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead, but recent reports of Britannian forces attacking their own comrades seem to indicate a familiar presence."

Assuming this 'F.L.E.I.J.A.' was the cause of the 'explosion,' Guilford continued with the obvious line of questioning. "Aren't Prince Schneizel and Princess Cornelia currently arranging conditions for peace with the Black Knights? Why wouldn't Zero be present?"

"Zero is no longer in command of the Black Knights. They turned on him after learning his true identity from Their Highnesses, myself, and… the deputy commander of the Black Knights. Unfortunately, he managed to escape and is still at large. Only select military officers and government officials are aware of this fact, however."

The knight shivered slightly and felt an emotion he hadn't experienced in quite a while: fear. "Without his army, Zero may be powerless against a fleet of Knightmare Frames, but he still possesses the ability to control anyone at any moment, including our allies." _And us._

Villetta brought out her laptop and began looking through it as she spoke. "Yes, that's an accurate assessment. I will ease some of your concern though, Lord Guilford. For all intents and purposes, you and I are currently immune to his power. "

"On what grounds?"

"Zero's power contains an important drawback: it only works once on a person. In other words, both you and I have already been affected so it will not work a second time. I received this information directly from His Majesty himself."

Guilford felt himself relax at the promising news of their previously-unbeatable enemy's weakness. Villetta continued, "However, the boy is not to be underestimated. He is still at the top of the empire's confidential 'Most Wanted' list, along with his suspected associates. When will you be leaving here, my lord?"

"Hopefully within the next few weeks. Why do you ask?'

Villetta turned the laptop to face the man. "I want you to memorize these faces for when you're set free so you can report if you've seen them. We need everyone trustworthy we can get on the job." The screen displayed the names and faces of numerous people, with hyperlinks nearby connecting to files. At the top, a file photo stared back at him of an ebony haired boy with piercing violet eyes. He wore the uniform of Ashford Academy as well as a relaxed smile. The name shown was his alias, 'Lelouch Lamperouge.'

The first entry Guilford had expected. The ones following ranged from surprising to incredibly shocking. The next photo showed another boy from Ashford, one with sandy hair and similar purple eyes. He couldn't have been older than sixteen. The name read 'Rolo Lamperouge.' "I didn't realize Empress Marianne had a third child other than the prince and princess."

Villetta grimaced. "She didn't, though I've also found the physical resemblance a bit strange as well. Remember when I mentioned how Lelouch convinced my operative to betray me?"

Guilford's eyes widened. "This boy has Geass as well?"

"Yes, the power to stop time. He was trained to be an assassin and was playing the part of Lelouch's brother in order to conduct surveillance. At some point, Lelouch managed to win him over, and he was last seen helping Lelouch escape from the Black Knights."

 _Another incredibly dangerous one._ Guilford filed the unfamiliar face away for later and pulled up the next one. The photo instantly struck him. Instead of a school boy, it displayed an exotic woman with long lime green hair and shining golden eyes. She appeared young as well, perhaps in her late teens or early twenties. "Who is she?"

"An immortal witch who has been aiding Lelouch in his rebellion. She goes by the name C.C."

"Immortal witch?"

"Eternally young and unable to die by conventional means. We at the OSI were informed that guns, swords, and explosions would work only temporarily until regeneration occurred. Our mission was to capture her and send her to His Majesty. Unfortunately, with intervention from Lelouch, we never accomplished that objective."

Guilford's hopes dropped realizing he'd have no chance against such a woman. He filed the information away for later. "At least with such a distinct appearance, her presence may clearly lead us to Zero's whereabouts."

Villetta nodded. "It's a good plan in theory, but after searching for her for months, I never laid eyes on her, even after Lelouch blackmailed me and utilized my forces. I think the next person on the list may be much more recognizable."

The woman scrolled to the next photo and Guilford's eyes widened in shock. "Gottwald? Wouldn't the Geass have worn off by now?" Another thought occurred to him. "And aren't you two associates as part of the Purist faction? Was he blackmailed as well?"

Villetta sighed. "This is where things get complicated. The Purist faction disbanded officially after Lord Jeremiah's disappearance following the Battle of Narita. I hadn't seen him for months, presuming him dead. Then, a little while before the Battle of Tokyo – the second one – he reappeared, subduing my former operative Rolo and demanding the location of Lelouch. I believed he wanted to kill the boy, probably having discovered his identity on his own. He'd never forgiven Zero for the disgrace he suffered."

The woman shook her head. "Lord Jeremiah…he was different then. He had become part machine, a cyborg with enhanced fighting capabilities. In addition, the photo we have is outdated. He wore a device on his face, one that I believe negated the effects of Geass so that it couldn't affect him. Imagine the shock when I learned he was purportedly fighting alongside Zero for the Black Knights."

"Cyborg…and if Geass couldn't affect him, then why would he ever join forces with Zero?"

"I haven't the slightest idea. His bloodlust suddenly turned into loyalty, a feat I'd only ever seen with the use of the boy's accursed power. Maybe he was blackmailed, but I can't be sure. Either way, he is currently incredibly dangerous and still unaccounted for. There is one more on the list."

Villetta revealed the final picture, one Guilford also recognized. "Kururugi? A knight in service to His Majesty? Are you telling me he finally succumbed to his heritage and past connections to join forces with Zero?"

"Actually, no. Kururugi is the last on this list for a reason. While the others are certainly confirmed dangerous hostiles, Sir Kururugi is simply missing. Though it's possible he decided to defect to the side of his people and his classmate, it's also possible that he is in a secure location with His Majesty. His status is simply unknown, so he is considered of lesser concern than the other entries."

Guilford's head was spinning after receiving all the information. "In short, then, out of a list of Britannia's most dangerous, a Knight of the Round, one of the greatest warriors in the empire, is of least concern. Additionally, I have to be wary of four people who may not even be considered human: a mechanized former military officer, an immortal woman, a boy assassin with the ability to stop time, and, most importantly, Zero, a teenage Britannian Prince with the power to control the wills of others."

After a pause, Villetta replied, "Correct."

"…I need some gin."

Villetta sighed. "And unfortunately I don't have any to provide. Trust me, this whole mess has been driving me mad for the past several months. I'm just glad that I finally have others on my side as well." She pulled out a piece of paper and began to scribble something on it. "When you get released, I assume you'll return immediately to Princess Cornelia, but until then, call me if anything unusual occurs." She handed him the number.

"Of course. And…thank you, for helping me understand everything that's been going on."

Villetta looked startled, unused to being appreciated by nobility. "I-it was nothing, my lord. I'm just trying to prevent any more tragedies at the hands of Zero is all." She slightly inclined her head and briskly walked out the door.

Once the woman had gone, Guilford was left with only his unsettled feelings. On one hand, he was grateful to finally have the answers he'd been searching for: how he had ended up in the hospital to begin with. Yet, Villetta had delivered much worse news than he had ever anticipated: he'd been forced into a traitor and Zero, who suddenly seemed much more intimidating than before, still remained at large. The Britannian Empire, no, the entire world was in grave peril, and only a few people even knew the reason why. Now, Guilford was among them, and he could do nothing to intervene while still bedridden. Perhaps ignorance would have been a kinder fate after all.

* * *

The days passed and Guilford made steady progress with his rehabilitation. He had now escaped the confines of a wheelchair and could walk with assistance, albeit much more slowly than he would have liked. Guilford needed to return to the princess's side and, at the very least, assure her of his steadfast loyalty. He needed to clear his name and assist in ridding the world of the menace Zero once and for all.

Guilford switched on the television expecting to watch the same news reports as always: the reconstruction of buildings in the settlement, evaluation of the collapsing stock market, and predictions for the world after the war resolved in a stalemate without a clear victor. The headline displayed none of those things. Instead, it read, "His Majesty to Address the Empire."

 _Finally_ , Guilford thought. Sometimes he wondered how the emperor could be so detached in his style of rule. He hadn't been seen since the Battle of Tokyo, and that occurred almost one month prior. While his sons and daughters fought proudly for their nation, led colonial administrations, or spearheaded foreign diplomacy, Emperor Charles rarely appeared in public. Guilford supposed that, with such competent successors, perhaps he simply wasn't necessary on the world stage, and instead opted to manage internal affairs, namely the Pendragon nobility. Somehow, though, the man managed to lead the largest empire in the world during a time of rapid expansion, and Cornelia's knight had to give him credit. Guilford himself had only seen the emperor in person once, and his mere presence had dwarfed him to the size of a mouse in comparison. Emperor Charles exuded power, and surely no other man could better epitomize the word "ruler," except for perhaps the Second Prince.

The reporters chatted as they usually did when stalling for time, speculating on what was bound to occur in the next several minutes. "– what to expect, but His Majesty did welcome a challenge from the newly formed 'United Federation of Nations' during his last appearance."

"That he did, and perhaps now with the empire's resounding victory in Area 11, he will reaffirm Britannia's might and usher in a new Golden Age for the world. Zero's death and the Black Knights' cooperation surely means Britannia is one step closer to peace…"

Guilford listened to them drone on with little substance until finally the screen cut away to an image of Pendragon's skyline. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm getting word that His Majesty is about to arrive. Please stand by."

Finally, cameras landed in the throne room and a voice could be heard in the background as trumpets blared. "Presenting, His Imperial Majesty!"

The doors opened, and a figure stood in the doorway. In no way could it have been Emperor Charles. The man's physique seemed the exact opposite: thin, and certainly not as massive in either height or girth. Then, as he drew closer, Guilford realized he'd seen this man – no, this boy – before. Head held high, his dark locks fell into his shining, violet eyes, and Guilford couldn't help but recall the face that had plagued his dreams for the past several weeks. His breath caught, and his heart began to race. _No, no! This cannot be happening! This isn't real. I'll wake up and chastise myself for believing this ridiculous fabrication for even a minute._ He must have said something aloud because Hanna soon rushed in to check on him. Guilford barely paid her any mind, letting her turn to the television to figure out the events for herself.

As the seconds ticked by, Guilford felt his slim hopes slipping away. Nothing on the screen seemed to change, even as more and more of the gathered audience became confused at the intrusion. _My eyes aren't deceiving me after all. Britannia's number one enemy has just entered the most secure area of the empire amidst hundreds of gathered nobles._ He spotted Prince Odysseus in the front. _They're all going to die, even the Crown Prince!_

The boy lowered himself into the throne, and Guilford felt rage build inside him at the blatant insolence. "Greetings, I am Lelouch vi Britannia of the royal family and 99th emperor of the realm."

Guilford choked, and Hanna looked over confused. "Do you know him, my lord? I've never heard of a Prince Lelouch before…"

The knight's eyes narrowed as he answered. "Only in passing. All I know is that he is one of the most dangerous individuals I have ever met." _Not that I remember our encounter._ "And now he seems to be attempting a coup."

"But, it won't work, will it?"

Guilford said nothing in response as he returned his focus to the broadcast. Prince Odysseus had begun to speak. "...figured that you would be found alive too. But now, aren't you carrying this joke a bit too far? That's the throne of our father and –"

"Charles zi Britannia, the 98th emperor, no longer lives, and I'm the one who took his life."

Guilford's and Hanna's gasps joined those from the broadcast. He thought he could hear some objects clattering to the ground in the hallway. _Emperor Charles, dead._ The thought didn't trouble the knight nearly as much as he expected, but then again, his loyalty lied more with his daughter and the remainder of the empire rather than with him. However, the man's fears rested not on the loss of leadership, but rather who was inevitably about to claim the reins of the empire.

Lelouch continued, "Therefore, that makes me the next emperor."

Hanna turned back again. "That can't be true, can it? They won't let him get away with such an accusation!" Guilford didn't doubt Lelouch's claim, but at least hoped that in a room full of trained Britannian guards, someone could quickly apprehend the scrawny terrorist. Sure enough, guards began to flood the throne room under Princess Guinevere's orders. _Finally, some competency._ The man felt as though he was missing something in the situation. _How did Lelouch even enter such a secure area and spread a false rumor of the emperor's arrival?_

Guilford heard a crash and locked his gaze onto the television. The guards had been thrown to the ground with shattered halberds, and a brunette now stood in front of the former terrorist. Cornelia's knight recognized him immediately. "Kururugi? Damnit!"

Hanna's eyes widened at the name. "Suzaku Kururugi, the Knight of Seven? He was in on this as well?"

"So it seems," he replied. Guilford recalled Villetta's list and remembered how relieved he'd been when she'd stated Kururugi most likely wasn't a threat. _We just can't get a break, can we?_

The former prince declared, "I grant him the title 'Knight of Zero.'" Guilford snorted at the distasteful irony, though the implications of the title were completely lost on the nurse beside him.

"Lelouch, Sir Kururugi, this just won't do. Pulling a stunt like this on an international broadcast –"

"Do you think so?" Guilford wished he were in Pendragon himself. For once, he agreed with the usually brash First Princess: this boy needed to be apprehended immediately. Unfortunately for the soft-spoken Crown Prince, Zero – the former scourge of Area 11 – would not be reasoned with. Not that any of the Pendragon nobles knew that quintessential fact.

"Let me make this easy for you all to understand." Lelouch swept his hands over his eyes. " ** _Acknowledge me as emperor!_** "

Guilford froze at the words. With the authority they carried, the boy seemed absolutely confident that his command would be obeyed. "No!" _Geass! He's enslaving everyone!_ If he'd left the hospital sooner, he could have warned the nobility before they succumbed to this fate. But, who would believe stories about a supernatural power unless they'd experienced its effects themselves? And the Black Knights certainly wouldn't want Zero's identity to become public: he held too much sway over the hearts of the Elevens to exist as anything but a martyred hero. Any slander against such a symbol would never be tolerated.

Then, the dreaded chorus reached his ears. "All hail Lelouch! All hail Lelouch!" Guilford promptly switched off the device.

Hanna seemed a little dazed. "I never thought Emperor Charles was so unpopular that everyone would brush aside regicide so easily. Even Prince Odysseus welcomed him. Maybe this change won't be so bad."

Guilford had other ideas. "Hanna, I need to leave now."

The nurse's eyes widened. "But, my lord, you haven't been properly rehabilitated yet."

"There isn't time. That boy," he pointed at the screen, "is an extreme threat to the empire, no matter how receptive the nobility currently seem. I need to be by my princess's side."

Hanna considered the man's request. "Please, give it at least one week's time. By then, you should be able to walk on your own with minimal assistance, given your most recent progress." The knight was about to argue, but the woman continued. "Do you even know where Princess Cornelia is right now? Last I heard, she and Prince Schneizel had left Area 11."

Guilford paused, and let himself relax. "No, I suppose I don't. I apologize if my actions are overly rash." He imagined the violet-eyed boy brandishing a gun before both Prince Clovis and Princess Euphemia. Then, he envisioned a warrior princess with lavender hair kneeling before him in defeat. _I need to go but I can't do anything hobbling around the Tokyo settlement blindly, especially if I can't even properly operate a Knightmare._ "I'll take your advice and wait just a little longer." Hanna smiled reassuringly.

_I only hope I won't be too late._

* * *

Guilford picked up a small scrap of paper and began entering the scrawled string of numbers onto his phone. It rang twice before someone picked up. "Hello, this is Villetta Nu. Please state your business."

"Nu, it's Guilford. I'm leaving the hospital soon, but I still need some information. Do you happen to know the current whereabouts of Her Highness, Princess Cornelia?"

"No, unfortunately I do not. Things have become pretty chaotic as of late, for obvious reasons. Last I heard, she and the Second Prince departed shortly after the upheaval in Pendragon so they could check something regarding the Toromo Agency." She paused in thought. "It's a shame they left, however, since a proper government still hasn't been established for the Japanese. Now we're having to pick up the pieces on our own."

"We?"

Silence. Then, Villetta hesitantly continued. "I've been aiding the Black Knights since the conclusion of the Second Battle of Tokyo."

"You can't possibly mean –!"

"I helped them learn the truth about Zero and have only collaborated with them following his departure. It seems that without their masked leader, the Black Knights only want peace in Japan and hardly pose a threat to Britannia."

Guilford didn't know how he should reply to this news, but he tried his best. "I'll trust your decision for now, Nu, especially considering the circumstances. I don't hold anything against you, as you've already provided a great service for your country." He thought of Britannia's newest despot. "I don't even know if I can side with Britannia any longer. I need to consult with Princess Cornelia first."

"Thank you, my lord. And I'm sorry I couldn't have provided any more help." She stopped briefly. "If you need a place to go after your discharge, Lord Guilford, I can request a transport to take you to Horai Island – the Black Knights' base – until you find Her Highness. I'm sure they'd provide you amnesty since you share views on," she paused and spat the following name, "Emperor Lelouch."

Guilford actually considered it briefly. "I don't know. We've fought the Black Knights for so long that I can't imagine myself requesting their aid."

"All I ask is that you think on it. The offer will remain standing. Just give me another call if you need it."

"Thank you. I certainly appreciate the generosity." Guilford spotted Hanna spying in his door. "Sorry, I have to go. I wish you the best of luck with everything going on."

Villetta breathed out. "Thank you, my lord. We'll certainly all need it."

* * *

_Horai Island, two weeks later…_

The princess lied in bed, arms crossed over her gently rising and falling chest. The only other time Guilford had viewed Cornelia li Britannia in such a peaceful manner had been following the First Battle of Tokyo, when he had nursed her back to health. Thankfully, though, she had once again survived the impossible. When Guilford heard news of the woman being shot by the Second Prince, he feared the worst, yet then she showed up right where he'd been seeking refuge, and her knight had to wonder if perhaps fate had decided to finally favor him just this once. From his position, the man couldn't tell if his liege was asleep or awake, but he let the words carelessly slip from his lips anyhow.

"Your Highness…"

The violet-haired beauty fluttered her eyes open, and she turned slightly, confused by the man she hadn't heard enter. Her eyes widened a little in recognition and disbelief as she took in the sight. Then, her gaze softened. "Guilford, my knight. Of course you would follow me out here. It seems the both of us have somehow managed to survive the odds…"

Hearing her voice, Guilford rushed to her, kneeling beside the bed. "Your Highness, I have done you wrong. My crimes against the empire are severe, and I kneel here to beg your forgiveness."

Cornelia seemed confused, until she realized what he spoke of. "Nonsense, Guilford. If you know what occurred that day, then you should also know that you cannot be held responsible for any of your actions. Who debriefed you?"

Without hesitation, he answered, "Villetta Nu, Your Highness."

The princess nodded in understanding. "Then, I assume you heard about his accursed power as well." When Guilford didn't respond for clarification, Cornelia continued. "Sit down, Guilford. You have no need to kneel before me, especially when my title is effectively meaningless. Surely, I can no longer claim to be a princess of Britannia, not as it is now."

Guilford lifted his head in confusion, but obeyed nonetheless. After he sat, Cornelia noticed his discomfort, and decided to take a different approach. "We lost General Darlton during the First Battle of Tokyo, and we have made sure to honor his death and legacy ever since."

The knight didn't understand his liege's point, but he spoke what words he could. "He was one of the best men this world had to offer. His strength and loyalty could only be matched by his compassion."

"The last interaction I ever had with him involved a lance in the back of my Gloucester and a promise to 'deliver me to Zero'."

She said it so calmly and with no trace of anger that Guilford almost missed the impact of her words entirely. Almost. The expression of shock on his face said all that needed to be known. "Impossible. Darlton would never betray you or his country."

Cornelia met the gaze of her knight. "No, he wouldn't. And neither would you, Guilford."

Finally understanding her meaning, Guilford looked down to his lap in resignation. "I… I see."

The princess stared back at the ceiling. "Don't hold yourself to a double standard. Just as Darlton deserves to be recognized for his loyalty, you must be as well. The only one to blame in this situation would be my demon of a younger brother."

Guilford breathed out the name. "Lelouch."

"Indeed. And here I thought I'd made the better decision in siding with Schneizel instead." She chuckled. "But you can see where that got me."

The knight gritted his teeth. "The boy may have killed his siblings in cold blood, but Prince Schneizel chose to shoot his own sister in the back. To me, this ongoing battle seems nothing more than one between two evils. Only time will tell which posed the lesser threat to us all."

Cornelia sighed. "Unfortunately, I'd have to say my opinion differs on the matter." Guilford looked over, curious. "My brother didn't kill me. I'm still here after all is said and done. In a more normal world he would be an excellent ruler. He isn't driven by the ambition that egoists have. I was a fool not to have seen that. Wouldn't you agree?"

She held up her hand, perhaps in contemplation. It shook slightly, and Guilford couldn't help but notice its distinct pallor. _She'd hate to be told how frail she appears right now,_ he thought. Without thinking, he clasped her hand in his own. It was warm, perhaps not as warm as it should have been, but warm enough.

The Second Princess turned to face her knight. Emotion overcame him, and his voice wavered when he next spoke. "Princess, I…"

He couldn't finish the sentence. Cornelia's face softened until it expressed the most compassion he'd ever seen outside her interactions with her late sister. "Guilford, you're never going to stop calling me that, are you?"

Guilford froze, the words caught in his throat. Then, he thought of the woman before him, of the time they'd spent together over the years, and the gratitude he felt towards her. He swallowed and mustered the strength to speak once more. "No, Your Highness, I won't." The Second Princess watched him expectantly. He continued. "No one is more deserving of such a venerated title than you. I've known no emperor, no prince, no princess, no noble, no commoner, no number who could possibly match your resolve, your strength, your grace. You shine like a beacon of hope both on and off the battlefield, and I can think of no one else to which I would have rather pledged my loyalty. I swear to you, Princess, I will follow you to the ends of the Earth if I have to, but I will never forsake my duty to serve you, not as long as I am able."

A small smile formed on the woman's face, and she used her remaining hand to clutch her knight's. "Thank you, Guilford, for never abandoning me." The man's eyes widened to the size of saucers, having never experienced this level of humility from the princess before. _Thank you…_ Guilford thought back to the hospital and realized this must have been how that nurse had felt that day she aided him, a pride beyond any other for having found a use in the world.

Cornelia tightened her grip. "And I, Cornelia li Britannia, swear to you that I will humbly accept your service as my knight. Stand by me as you always have, and I'll do my best to live up to your praise." She removed her hand and stroked his cheek instead.

Guilford choked as he felt something wet stain his eyes. _No, not here._ But it didn't matter. The only thing that did was the weak pulse he felt through the skin on his face. That was his purpose, to stay by her side and return her to her former glory – or perhaps an even greater strength. He looked into her eyes: lavender orbs that, for the first time in weeks, inspired him instead of causing hesitation. Guilford opened his mouth slightly, speaking the only response he could imagine to the princess's oath.

"It would be my honor, Your Highness."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a few extra things to address.
> 
> 1\. I hope I got the timeline approximately correct, as it's hard to determine from the series how much time actually passes towards the end beyond a few announcements on-screen. Although Britannian medical science is apparently "amazing" (according to Mao), I feel Guilford's treatment would have been slowed due to a ridiculously overcrowded hospital. Guilford received the best living conditions and priority treatment due to his noble status, however doctors still had to tend to other patients to an extent as well. The Second Battle of Tokyo was not small, and unfortunately the F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead caused considerable damage to Tokyo's infrastructure.
> 
> 2\. Forgive me if the Guilford x Cornelia moment felt at all strange. I have little experience writing affection between characters, and I wanted this one to be profound yet subtle, if that makes any sense.
> 
> 3\. While writing this, I had a great idea for a full fic detailing Cornelia's adventures between R1 and R2 to uncover the secrets of Geass and Code - R, but I realized that involved two problems. One, I didn't have the time to write it. Two, I'm not too comfortable with the Akito the Exiled material, and I know this fic idea would inevitably bleed into the E.U. during the events of the O.V.A. series. I guess it would be cool if someone else wrote it, but I may adapt the beginning of the idea into one of my Missing Pieces stories instead (it would just feel so incomplete argh but at least it would explain Cornelia's motives and intentions).


	4. Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, we're actually moving (slightly) away from R2 here. This story takes place between seasons, after the events in Akito the Exiled. I'm not as familiar with the OVA material so this fic doesn't require much knowledge from them, only that Julius Kingsley existed.
> 
> On another note, I changed perspectives between a whopping five people this time, more than I've ever done before. Let me know how that goes for you while reading XD
> 
> Enjoy reading the latest addition to my collection!

His Majesty Emperor Charles zi Britannia watched as the door creaked open at the end of the throne room. Anticipating more ludicrous requests from the nobility, a scowl formed on his face, solidifying his mask of power. Once he spotted who entered instead, his ever-faithful Knight of One, the man's sour expression softened to a more neutral replacement.

His voice booming, the emperor asked, "What is it, Bismarck?"

The burly knight continued his stride, undaunted by His Majesty's powerful tone. "It seems the operative has returned from the E.U. with the boy and Knight of Seven in tow. According to Kururugi, the Kingsley identity failed to keep during their trip, and he's requesting a refresher."

"Hmph. It's certainly a shame since I still had use for him. At least it stuck long enough to properly get the ball rolling on the European front. I suppose I'll just have to leave the rest to Schneizel then."

Bismarck stopped before the throne. "Should I show them in?"

The emperor tapped his fingers across the armrests of his chair. "No, if the boy managed to discard Kingsley then his will is likely too strong to undergo another drastic change in identity." He smirked. "It appears I underestimated him, but I have another way in mind to make him useful, and this time he'll find it much more difficult to break away." The man then stood, his massive figure practically engulfing the room. "Ready the Great Britannia, and gather those three as well. We're taking a trip to Area 11."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

* * *

"Okay, Mr. Secretary, is everyone present and accounted for?"

"Yeah! I mean, everyone that's been around that is…"

"Great! Then let the First Official Ashford Academy Student Council Meeting of the 2018 Spring Term… begin!"

The blonde's obvious enthusiasm didn't have much of an effect on the other two present members of the council. Though Milly seemed just as chipper as always, Rivalz and Shirley couldn't help but notice the abundance of unoccupied seats in the council room.

"Geez, Prez, it's just so… empty," the boy stated.

Milly waved her hand to dismiss the remark. "Don't worry about it, Rivalz. We'll be holding elections as soon as classes start up again, just you wait." Inside, the girl knew that wasn't what bothered her fellow council members, but she also didn't want to ruin the meeting by addressing the elephant in the room. She switched tactics. "You know what this school needs? A kick-off festival for a new start!"

No one said anything in response so Milly continued, slowly walking towards the white board. "I mean most of our previous students moved back to the homeland over the winter, but we also have lots of new students arriving as well. What better way is there to welcome them than with a school-wide celebration? Does anyone want to share any ideas?"

She uncapped a dry-erase marker and looked over towards the orangette who hadn't spoken since she'd entered the room. "Shirley, you've been awfully quiet today. Do you have any…?" Milly trailed off when she noticed her friend staring vacantly at an open seat by the window. The girl sighed, realizing she had to do it. "You miss him, don't you? Your precious Lulu?"

Shirley looked up, startled. Milly expected her to blush as she always did, to gasp and deny accusations of their obvious relationship, but the girl did none of those things. Her eyes…they didn't shine with compassion or embarrassment. Shirley looked as though she'd seen a ghost, and if Milly didn't know the kind-hearted girl personally, she would have sworn her friend was attempting to cover up some deep-seeded guilt. "I…"

Rivalz cut in before she could finish. "Have you still not heard from them, Prez? I mean, Lelouch is a master of disappearing, but months without a check-in? That's unusual, even for that guy."

Milly laughed half-heartedly, attempting to disguise her discomfort. "Don't worry guys! I've known Lelouch since we were kids, and I'm sure he's fine. He's probably just taken Nunnally somewhere safe until he knows for sure all this 'Black Knight' business is over and done with. He'll call any day now, I just know it!"

Rivalz nodded in hesitant agreement, but Shirley still didn't seem convinced.

In truth, Milly had no idea where Lelouch and Nunnally had disappeared to during the rebuilding of Tokyo. At least with the other missing members of the council, their whereabouts were known: Suzaku had been promoted to the Knight of Seven, Nina had been employed by the military, and Kallen… well… her face had certainly been all over the news lately, so at least they knew she was alive. With Lelouch though, Milly hoped he had simply taken his sister into hiding until the military presence subsided in Area 11 so their identities wouldn't be discovered. But months without even a message… doubt lingered. What if he'd been out gambling and got caught in the crossfire of the battle? What if he'd been discovered and the emperor had sent both him and Nunnally back to Pendragon? Milly didn't like to dwell on those thoughts, so she instead remained optimistic, but that became harder and harder with each passing day.

The student council president clapped her hands together. "So, the festival! It needs a theme, that's for sure! What should we do? Cowboys? Pirates? An underwater theme? A redux of the cross-dresser's ball for all the newbies? If the battle weren't so fresh in people's minds, I would love to have a magic theme since I hear the newly-formed pyrotechnics club has some great tricks up their sleeves –"

Milly was interrupted by the sound of a door sliding open nearby. She turned and beamed when she saw the brunette standing in the hall. "Wow, look at that! You're just in time!"

Rivalz smiled as well. "Hey, Suzaku! How'd he know we were having a meeting now?"

Milly noticed Shirley's eyes narrow slightly in skepticism. She took in the boy's stoic expression and formal uniform, complete with a flowing navy cloak. "You're not here for the meeting, are you?"

Suzaku shook his head slightly. "No, I'm here on official business for the empire. I need you three to come with me to the government bureau immediately."

Milly's eyes widened. "The government bureau? What for?"

"I was told that the new viceroy requested a full report of all the relief efforts following the battle. Since Ashford Academy was temporarily used as a local shelter, Viceroy Calares would simply like to hear your suggestions for more efficient emergency aid in the future."

Rivalz quickly uttered a few words of understanding, but neither of the girls seemed willing to immediately accept the request. Milly spoke up. "Maybe it would be better if only my grandfather and I were to go. I'd rather not burden the viceroy with more of us than necessary. I can make a collective list of our ideas and then –"

"Your grandfather is already there, Madam President, and I was _specifically_ asked to bring you all as per the viceroy's orders. I am no position to disobey his demands, and neither are you."

All three current members of the student council shivered. Milly thought Suzaku's tone sounded much colder than she'd ever heard it. She frowned. _What happened to him these past few months?_

Before she could protest any further, Shirley stood abruptly. "Fine then, _Sir Kururugi_. We get that you have to follow orders and all, but at least the rest of us know to properly treat friends!" She stormed out.

Rivalz turned to Milly and Suzaku. "Geez, what's with her today?"

The president sighed. "Never mind that. Let's just go, Rivalz, before we cause Suzaku any more trouble."

"O-okay, Prez. If you say so." He got up and made his way out the door just as Shirley had.

Milly opted to hang back with the solemn knight. Obviously, the boy had distanced himself quite a lot since the last time they'd met. Usually, he smiled and always spoke with such warmth and compassion during student council meetings. Any suggestion he made felt earnest, and Milly was convinced that by the end of the last term, he had finally found a home at Ashford Academy. Now though, Suzaku stared ahead at the space to where Shirley and Rivalz had just disappeared. Milly asked tentatively, "Are you okay, Suzaku? You seem a bit… distracted."

He turned, startled, and Milly was glad to see emotion finally seep onto his features. "Huh? I – sorry, I'm fine." He closed his eyes and gave a small smile. "I've just had a lot on my mind recently is all, as I'm sure you can understand." He laughed a little, half-heartedly.

"Well, if you ever need a break, remember that you always have a place here at the Ashford Academy student council, alright?"

Milly began walking out, and Suzaku blinked. "Yeah, of course."

The four met back out in the hallway, Shirley aiming a glare directly at the brunette. She huffed and started forward again, Rivalz trailing alongside. Milly and Suzaku brought up the rear. As they walked, the president inspected the silent knight. Something was bothering him, she could tell, but it wasn't just Suzaku either. Everyone on the student council seemed bothered by something or another now. In fact, they'd just been talking about one cause: the disappearance of the school's vice president. _Now that I think about it, Suzaku also knows about Lelouch's identity as a prince, right?_

Milly said quietly, "Hey, Suzaku. You haven't heard anything from Lelouch recently have you?"

She didn't know why exactly she asked. Maybe she hoped that Lelouch had, for some reason, confided in the Japanese boy instead of her, and that she could finally learn his whereabouts secondhand. Or maybe, in some dark recess of her mind, she suspected something worse, that maybe her fear of Lelouch being rediscovered by the empire had somehow become a reality with the help of information supplied by the newly-promoted loyal Knight of Seven…

Suzaku steeled his expression and managed to only barely falter in his stride. "No, I can't say I have."

On the outside, Milly sighed. "That's what I thought." They continued in silence, but still the blonde felt something itching at her. _He's hiding something._ Nothing existed to support her theory, not really. His words sounded honest, and Milly didn't want to believe he'd try to deceive them, but he also sounded so… bitter. Like he didn't care about his childhood friend in the slightest. She looked her companion up and down.

_Suzaku, what happened to you?_

* * *

"No, I can't say I have."

Shirley silently fumed. _Of course you haven't; you're the one who sent him to his death!_

Nothing concerning Lelouch Lamperouge made any sense to Shirley. It all started when she first met him last August, or at least, when she thought they first met. She couldn't remember him from before that, but for some reason, the rest of the student council claimed they'd known each other since the beginning of high school and that, in fact, they'd both been members of the student council together for years, she and her 'precious Lulu.' So why didn't her memories match those stories? She could remember the countless festivals and all the fun she'd had with Milly, Rivalz, Nina, Kallen, Suzaku, and even Nunnally just fine, but when it came to Lelouch… blank. Shirley tried to make sense of it all, but eventually she gave up and decided to just go along with the antics of the student council as she always had. After a while, she even developed an actual fondness for the strange raven-haired teen.

Then, everything became even more confusing when Shirley uncovered the scrap of paper shoved behind her desk. In her handwriting, it claimed Lelouch was actually the masked terrorist Zero, but why would a Britannian student fight against his own country? And more importantly, when had Shirley written that note? It was just another thing she couldn't quite recall, and she then decided the events had to be linked. Lelouch Lamperouge, Zero: he did something to her. He had to be the reason she couldn't remember. She must have discovered his identity so he… did whatever it was he did to her in order to protect himself.

Zero – Lelouch – killed her father at Narita, but somehow, despite that awful deed, Shirley found it hard to believe that the vice president of the student council was inherently evil. He always stepped up to run Ashford's numerous festivals with a smile on his face, and of course one couldn't miss the love and adoration in his eyes when he doted on his younger sister, Nunnally. Sure, he'd done terrible things as Zero by putting countless innocent people at risk during his campaigns, but it seemed like he genuinely wanted to aid the Elevens in their cause as well.

When Lelouch declared Ashford Academy as the Black Knights' base of operations during the Black Rebellion, Shirley hoped it was to keep the students safe (since that's what he would care about, right?), especially as it concerned Nunnally; the overprotective older brother Shirley knew would never allow any harm to come to the blind and crippled girl. Which was why she became even more confused when during a fight between him and Suzaku, the gargantuan black Knightmare aimed its weapons directly at the school. That's when she really doubted Lelouch and began to follow Milly and Rivalz's plan to sabotage the Black Knights. (Only later would she realize that Zero would have no reason to fire on his own troops that were using the school as a headquarters.)

The battle ended. Nina was removed from her makeshift explosive and taken into protection by the government. Lelouch, Nunnally, Suzaku, and Kallen all disappeared. Then, the news finally hit Area 11: most of the Black Knights had been captured, and Suzaku Kururugi had been named the empire's Knight of Seven for his valiant efforts in apprehending and executing the masked terrorist Zero. For a while, she'd denied the news. The so-called 'Man of Miracles' would turn up again, magically risen from the dead, and then Ashford Academy's vice president and honorary council member would come back to school. Things would be normal.

But it never happened. Zero stayed dead, and the Lamperouge siblings never reappeared. As time passed, Shirley blamed herself. She could have actually explained the situation to the Ashford student council before it was too late. She could have stopped them from interfering with the Black Knights. She could have begged Suzaku to spare his friend. She could have at least protected Nunnally from inevitably being dragged into the conflict her brother began. Shirley knew she wasn't at fault (how could she be when her actions never seemed to do any good anyway?), but she couldn't help and think about what could have been.

Strangely, she'd barely given a thought to the newly-appointed Knight of Seven over the passing months. Maybe she'd just forgotten about him, since he had only recently joined the council, or maybe she intentionally blocked him out of her mind to avoid placing the blame on anyone but herself. Shirley had no clue, but then today Suzaku strolled in and demanded they obey him without even a proper greeting. He even threatened them, his own friends! They'd stood up for him so much over the past year, and now he treated them like dirt. It didn't help her emotional state that Lelouch had been on her mind at the time, to remind her of that particular betrayal as well.

As she walked down the hall, Shirley had begun to simmer down, until Suzaku had said what he did.

_"No, I can't say I have."_

_You killed your own best friend,_ Shirley thought, _and my…_ The word slipped away from her just then. _My what?_ Perhaps that's why she was most bitter: because the people she trusted most of all refused to give her any answers.

_"What did you do to me?!"_

They lied, both Lelouch _and_ Suzaku, and Shirley only wished that someone could tell her what was going on. Her memories played tricks on her from any time before her father's death to the point where Shirley wasn't even sure she could trust herself anymore. _I have every right to be mad at the both of them, but…_ She pictured the sight of a handsome, violet-eyed boy smiling affectionately while stroking the hair of his sweet younger sister.

_…he certainly didn't deserve to die._

* * *

When they arrived at the Government Bureau, Rivalz was the first to speak up. "Wow! This place is huge!"

Milly laughed lightly. "Seriously, Rivalz? We took a field trip here just last year!"

Nervously, he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well, I wasn't feelin' too good, so I decided to take a sick day instead…" He shot a barely-hidden glance at Shirley.

Then, Milly remembered Lelouch's very obvious reason for staying home that day and came to her own conclusion with a frown. _They went gambling together instead. At least Rivalz had enough sense not to mention it in front of Shirley._

She looked around the open halls. "Well, I guess I'm just used to it, considering I grew up in Pendragon. I always wished the halls at Ashford were just a little larger so we could fit more people in for the winter festivals." Rivalz had a point, though. Milly had visited the Government Bureau before, but for some reason it seemed bigger today. Emptier. "Say, Suzaku, isn't this place usually a lot busier during the day? Barely anyone seems to be around."

"Usually, yes, but there have been some… upgrades to security since the Black Rebellion. Less people are allowed in the building at once during the day, so many bureaucrats have been given external offices and visitors have been severely limited. They've also added additional guards to the building, as you can probably tell."

The blonde looked around. She hadn't even noticed it before, but guards flanked the hall they walked down, though most were obscured partially by the towering marble pillars. Looking back, she saw some begin to file in around the door they just entered. One guard faced out while another faced in, almost as if they expected threats from both outside the building and within…

"We're here."

The group paused in front of a set of doors at that proclamation. Guards stood positioned before them while Suzaku turned to face his fellow student council members. "Viceroy Calares has requested to speak with each of you individually, so I'll take you back one at a time while the others wait here. Who would like to go first?"

Milly thought of asking why the viceroy wouldn't see all of them at once, who all worked together on the relief efforts, but she realized the argument would be pointless while in the government facility. "I'll go," she volunteered. Rivalz seemed about to protest so she cut him off before he could. "Since I'm the president, I should be the one to set the example." Another thought occurred to her. "And maybe if I give him a detailed-enough report, he won't even need to talk to Shirley or Rivalz afterwards."

Shirley shifted nervously but said nothing in response, seemingly lost in her own world. Rivalz sighed. "I guess that makes sense…" Then, he smiled and flashed two thumbs up. "Knock his socks off, Madam Prez!"

Milly laughed, waving a mock salute in response. "You bet! Wish me luck!"

Suzaku, not commenting on the decision, ushered the girl to the door and addressed one of the guards, "Let us through."

The man saluted proudly with one arm over his chest. "Yes, sir." He opened the door and stood aside as the two teenagers filed inside. It closed with a resounding boom behind them.

As they walked, the two barely talked. Obviously Suzaku had nothing to say, and Milly didn't really think he'd answer her questions regarding the meeting. Shirley had a point. The Japanese boy had been acting strangely since he'd returned, but Milly didn't think it was all due to the pride of his promotion. No, Suzaku just seemed… awkward around the student council, as if he didn't know how to properly behave. As if they were somehow strangers. _Come on, Suzaku, you weren't gone that long. Don't you know we're still your friends?_

Milly was about to casually ask about what he'd been doing in the past several months, but the boy paused in front of another entryway. "He's inside, whenever you're ready." His tone was flat, devoid of emotion.

The girl breathed in. "Thanks." Suzaku stepped back as she opened the door, gazing inside. Milly had been expecting to arrive at the office of the viceroy, but for some reason Suzaku had taken her to a different portion of the government bureau. It was seemingly a command center, more open in space with computer monitors lining the walls. Most noticeably, it contained a large chair in the center of the room for the commander, one that was currently occupied. From a distance, the figure certainly didn't look like the viceroy. In fact, it definitely resembled someone else entirely, someone with far more power than Viceroy Calares, someone who wouldn't possibly be in Area 11, and someone who definitely shouldn't be speaking to her.

"Suzaku…?" she began, looking behind her, but it seemed her companion had already gone.

Milly faced forward and took a deep breath. She strode inwards with as much confidence as she could muster, but that quickly left her as she got a better look as to the room's sole occupant. His form loomed over her, watching with narrowed violet eyes, ones so familiar to her currently-missing friend. She slowed as she drew closer, trying to mask her mounting fear. _I'm so screwed_ , she thought before dropping to one knee and addressing the last man she'd wanted to see in the entirety of the Britannian Empire.

"Your Majesty."

_This isn't happening. Why would the Emperor of Britannia ever come to a small colony like Area 11? He never leaves the Homeland!_ Maybe he came to deal with the remnants of the Black Knights, but Milly could only think of one reason why the man would want to speak with her, as far-fetched as it may be.

_Lelouch and Nunnally have been missing for months…_

Milly panicked, suddenly wishing she weren't all alone for this confrontation, that at least her grandfather were with her. She breathed, forcing herself to calm down. _Relax, Milly. You're the heiress of the Ashford family, and for over a year, you've been the proper age for inheritance. You can handle this situation like the mature, responsible adult you are._

"Millicent Ashford," the ruler boomed, causing his guest to flinch involuntarily at the use of her full name. "Why is it that, for the past seven years, you've chosen to hide away a prince and princess of the empire?"

Milly could have sworn her heart stopped then. _No, it's not possible. He couldn't know about them._ She stole a glance at the man's face; his stern expression didn't waver, only becoming more menacing in the dim light. "I…"

"Know that lying to your emperor is tantamount to treason."

The student council president gulped. _I need to tread carefully here, for Lelouch's and Nunally's sakes, for Grandfather's sake, and for the sakes of the student council. Everyone is counting on me._ "I did so per his behest, Your Majesty."

"Per whose behest, girl?"

_I'm sorry. Please forgive me._ Milly knew it had been rescinded but she decided to use her friend's title regardless, just in case it invoked any power or sympathy from the emperor. "His Highness, the Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, Your Majesty."

His expression didn't change. No surprise, no confirmation, nothing. _So he definitely already knew._ But who would have told the emperor? Lelouch and Nunnally were officially declared dead years ago, so no one had any reason to still be searching for them. The only ones who knew the pair still lived were her and her grandfather, and neither of them would have mentioned anything without being provoked first. _Did something get out? Was Lelouch not careful enough around the camera crews during one of the festivals?_ She thought back through the last school year, finally remembering one specific Japanese boy.

_Suzaku was acting pretty strangely earlier. He wouldn't have…_ Well, he _was_ the one who claimed he was bringing the student council to meet with the viceroy. He never mentioned anything about the emperor at all. _Suzaku must have revealed Lelouch's and Nunnally's whereabouts after his promotion to Knight of Seven._ Milly lowered her head more in defeated resignation. _I guess Shirley was right after all. He really did choose his position over his friends._

"And you believe that the request of a disinherited child holds more authority than the will of an empire to possess its property?" His eyes narrowed further. "I should shut down that wretched school of yours and have you and your grandfather deported to the Homeland immediately for the trouble you've caused."

Milly lifted her head ever so slightly, and quickly shouted without thinking, "No! You can't!"

The emperor narrowed his eyes even more as he rose a little from his makeshift throne. "You dare speak to your emperor with such disrespect?"

Milly wanted to slap herself right then. Getting the emperor angry wouldn't help anyone in this situation. She forced herself to calm down before she slowly worked out the proper apology. "Your Majesty, my outburst was uncalled for. The concealment of Lelouch vi Britannia and Nunnally vi Britannia was all the work of my grandfather and me. Please – I beg you – spare the student council and the remainder of Ashford Academy. They had nothing to do with the choices of the Ashford family, nor did they ever possess any knowledge of our doings."

After a moment of silence, the emperor spoke up again, ignoring Milly's previous plea. "Do you know where my errant son is right now, girl?"

Milly froze, unsure of how to respond. When Lelouch and Nunnally had been brought up, she'd assumed it was because they'd been found and taken back to Pendragon or – if Lelouch's fears were accurate – done away with. The emperor's tone was surprisingly neutral. Milly couldn't tell if his question was meant to inform her of their whereabouts or if the man was trying to get their location from her. _Does he not know where they are himself…?_ Milly hoped that was the case and that the two were still hidden somewhere. _Oh, Lelouch, please…_

Either way, Milly decided she could only answer truthfully. "No, I do not, Your Majesty. Both he and Princess Nunnally have been missing since the Battle of Tokyo." She wanted to add ask in return if _he_ could tell _her_ their whereabouts, but Milly knew such a request would not be tolerated.

Oddly, the emperor only smirked at her answer, amused. "Really? And here I expected you to have figured it out by now. Your grandfather certainly seemed to be on the right track."

That statement just confused Milly more. The emperor obviously knew where Lelouch and Nunnally were, but he also expected Milly to have known. _And what does grandfather know?_ "I… don't think I understand…"

"No, it's quite obvious you do not." The man drummed his fingers along the arm of the chair. "A bit of a disappointment, but I suppose it also makes things easier." He paused. "You requested amnesty for your academy, correct?"

Milly's heart fluttered. "Yes, Your Majesty." Maybe at least the students could go back to having a normal schooling experience…

"I will pardon your institution because it still has the potential to be of use to me…" Her world shattered. No, this affair wouldn't be over that easily. Not for her, her grandfather, Lelouch, Nunnally, and now even Ashford Academy. "…and the same goes for your grandfather and yourself, Millicent Ashford."

The last piece of news was troubling, and Milly couldn't decide whether whatever 'use' she apparently had to the emperor would be better or worse than going to prison (or being executed) as she'd expected. At least with the latter options, she wouldn't be betraying her friends. With the emperor's choice, however, that point was not as clear.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she replied submissively before taking a risk. "Will you permit me to ask a question?"

Milly heard the man give a short chuckle. _He knows he's won. I can't do anything in this position._ "I'll allow it."

The student council president then did something even nobility and most royalty would never even consider. She raised her head and met the gaze of the emperor head-on. "Where is Lelouch?" Milly almost startled at her own question, realizing she forgot to add Nunnally in as well.

The girl expected to be berated, but instead, the emperor gave her a wide smirk. "Ordinarily, I wouldn't tolerate such audacity, but today I'll reward your courage with an answer of my own: he is currently in my custody…" Milly had anticipated this, and though it hurt, at least her childhood friend was still alive. "…though I don't believe you should concern yourself with the status of traitors."

Milly barely had time to focus on his last words as the emperor's eyes suddenly shifted dramatically in color, enveloping even his pupils. A birdlike sigil displayed itself proudly in them. Her world melted into red.

* * *

Shirley didn't know what she'd been expecting when Suzaku ushered her into the command center. Maybe a disinterested Viceroy Calares – or more realistically, one of his secretaries – taking mandatory notes to file away? She was nervous, sure, but she also knew that such a high-ranking government official wouldn't be taking her too seriously, especially not when they had already spoken with Milly. The orangette didn't think she had anything else particularly interesting to add that the president hadn't already covered.

What she didn't expect, however, was the Viceroy to not even be present in the room.

Shirley rarely ever encountered nobility. A few times, a baron would visit her house to talk business with her father, but the highest-ranking person she'd ever met was an earl. From watching television, Shirley imagined that higher nobles like dukes and royalty would carry a certain… aura about them, that whenever they were present you knew they were the most important person.

When she entered the command center, she experienced that feeling, but it was much worse than she had ever imagined. Shirley felt as though the air had been taken from her lungs, and she froze in fear. The figure looming before her was definitely not Viceroy Calares. No, he was far more recognizable. Shirley thought through all the broadcasts she'd seen from Pendragon and tried to imitate the kneel used in court. It was probably clumsy, but that was the last thing on Shirley's mind.

"Y-your Majesty," Shirley whimpered rather weakly. Internally, her thoughts roared. _Why is the emperor in Area 11? I didn't think he ever left Pendragon, let alone the Homeland!_ Then, her train of thought immediately shifted to how she ended up in this situation to begin with. _Suzaku, he… he lied to us!_

"Shirley Fenette…" he began, his voice resonating in the small space. Shirley almost fainted then. _He knows my name! The emperor knows my name!_ A small voice whispered that Suzaku must have told him, but the girl ignored it for the moment. "…what do you know about Lelouch Lamperouge?"

Then, it clicked. The emperor came to Area 11 to deal with Zero and the Black Knights. No one else had managed to pose such a challenge to the empire in recent history. Shirley wasn't sure how much she wanted to reveal. What if the emperor thought she was in-league with Zero? Though she'd briefly considered it at one point, she knew that such an allegation would endanger not only herself, but also her mother and the rest of the student council. _Does just thinking about it mean I've already committed treason?_

Shirley began tentatively, drawing upon what she'd observed in the few weeks of memories she had of him. "Lelouch… was the vice president of the student council. He's probably the smartest person I know, but he would also skip class pretty often. He'd sometimes come across as lazy, but I know that wasn't true because whenever the student council hosted an event or festival, he'd be managing almost everything and everyone. Lelouch would balance the budget, assign jobs, and sort out any problems people would be having…" She paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "He'd tend to come across as cold, but he wasn't ever like that with the student council, and especially with his sister, Nunnally. Lelouch would always dote on her, and you could see in his eyes that he loved her above anyone else…" Shirley trailed off, not quite sure how to continue.

She became increasingly aware of the emperor's gaze on her. "Is something the matter, Miss. Fenette?"

Shirley was about to answer in the negative, but she then realized her eyes had been watering. She took the sleeve of her uniform and wiped the tears off her face, though she choked a little as she thought about the reason for them. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I… I just…"

"Would you like to add any more?"

He was looking for what she knew. Shirley really didn't want to continue with this conversation any longer than necessary, but she'd already shed tears in front of the most powerful man in the world. She didn't want to endanger the student council by suggesting they supported the Black Knights, but if she withheld information from the emperor that he already knew, that would be punishable as well. Any silence would be considered suspicious considering her obvious emotional involvement.

Shirley thought of Lelouch – and also Suzaku – and how they both confused her and denied her any answers. Why was everyone always lying to her?

The girl sighed and reluctantly made her choice. "Lelouch was the rebel leader Zero who led the terrorist organization known as the Black Knights." She choked back a sob. _And you and his best friend killed him._

Shirley peeked upwards, hoping that her sentence would be merciful. Oddly, the emperor seemed amused. "Well now, I didn't expect you to have that information. Your honesty is appreciated, but it still comes after the capture of Zero and thus comes later than it perhaps should have. Tell me why I shouldn't lock you up for conspiracy against the empire."

Here it was. Her all or nothing chance. Based on the emperor's language, it seemed that the rest of the student council was probably in the clear – and that was a good thing – but now Shirley had to figure out what to divulge. _If I say too little, I can't clear my suspicion, but if I say too much, he'll think I'm crazy! Who would believe me if I claimed Zero had a power that could make people lose their memories?_ As much as Shirley was afraid, she also wanted the truth. Lelouch and Suzaku refused to tell her anything, so maybe this would be her last chance to finally get some answers.

"For as long as we've been at Ashford Academy, Lelouch and I had been on the student council together. We held festivals, organized the other clubs, and directed student life at the academy together. The only problem is… my memories of Lelouch only go as far back as April."

Shirley thought the emperor would maybe react at that statement, but his face barely changed at all. She missed the small smirk hidden under his lips. "Before that, I can't remember meeting him at all! There are pictures of us together and people always tell stories about us, but it doesn't mean a thing to me. At first, they all claimed we were in a fight and I was pretending I didn't know him, but I really didn't know him, not then." She paused. "I – I swear I had nothing to do with the Black Knights! I just found a note I can't remember writing saying that Lelouch and Zero were one and the same and god I'm so afraid…"

The emperor rose. "So, that's how it is then."

Shirley looked up, surprised. "You mean you believe me?"

"Of course, girl. I've seen it before."

Before? Were others affected by this as well? _He did catch Zero. Maybe there were others like me… in the Black Knights…_ Shirley didn't want to think that. "What happened to me, Your Majesty?"

His eyes glowed crimson as his lips twitched upwards, and Shirley experienced a terrible feeling of déjà vu. "It seems as though the 'Man of Miracles' was just a little too careless..."

* * *

Charles considered the last two meetings he'd initiated. In truth, he cared little for the so-called 'friends' of his son, but it was necessary that he discovered exactly what information they knew regarding the boy's many masks so that he could utilize his Geass effectively. It surprised him that somehow the ditzy girl had managed to uncover more about Lelouch than even the youngest member of the Ashford family, but now both sets of knowledge were locked safely away in order to set the trap for the meddlesome immortal witch.

Now, only one confrontation remained.

Looking down, Charles inspected the boy before him. After a quick attempt at formality (the boy's improper bow was so atrocious that he gave up after only a few seconds), he only stood quivering, his unkempt blue locks standing on end.

"Rivalz Cardemonde," the emperor boomed. The boy flinched at his name ( _how weak_ ), yet he looked up expectantly. Though he'd somehow maintained eye contact, Rivalz resembled a frightened deer. _Is he very brave or just ignorant?_ "What do you know about Lelouch Lamperouge?"

Rivalz's eyes widened like saucers. "Lelouch? He's my best buddy!" Charles quirked a brow in disbelief. _Why would he ever keep the company of this fool?_ "He's the student council's vice president and the smartest person I know! Well, besides maybe Nina, but she's just really science-y…" He kept blabbering on, and the emperor internally groaned, wondering why he was even bothering with such a buffoon. "…and he's really cool too! We'd both skip class, and I'd drive him to –" Then, the boy oddly shut up, saying nothing more.

This was strange. "To where would you drive him, boy?"

Rivalz placed his hand behind his head and started rotating his feet nervously. "It's really not that important. Just some guys having some fun…"

The emperor suddenly rose to his full height. "You _will_ tell me what you two were up to this instant or I will have you detained. Do you understand me?"

The boy gulped, bringing his arm down slowly. "Y-yes, Your Majesty." He looked down. "When you started asking about Lelouch, I didn't know what you wanted. But, there's only one thing you would want to know about, right?" Charles said nothing in response, pondering the idea that perhaps this boy knew something strange after all. _That Fenette girl did surprise me in the end._

Rivalz continued, bringing his eyes upwards once more. "I mean, Lelouch is just amazing! I guess what we did at the expense of the nobility was wrong, but I only wanted to see him in action! So I drove him to his specified 'rendezvous' points and then…" The emperor tuned him out then. _There's no way my son would be this careless to leave so many loose ends unattended, yet this imbecile speaks as though he aided in perhaps several of Zero's operations. Could this boy possibly be…?_

Rivalz had felt pretty proud about using the complicated vocabulary in front of the emperor, but that feeling of accomplishment quickly left him once he was interrupted. "So, you admit to conspiring against the empire? Certainly, you know the punishment for such a crime."

_Death._ The boy held out his hands defensively as he felt his words leave him. "W-whoa there. I didn't know it was that bad, I swear! And I know Lelouch didn't either!" _Doubtful._ "B-but you don't need to go that far! Lelouch never goes shopping, so I bet the prize money's still sitting in a bank account somewhere. We can just return it to the nobility and then everything will be better! And I'll let him know when he gets back to school that we shouldn't schedule any more matches."

The emperor pinched the bridge of his nose in understanding. _So he's just an idiot after all. I don't know why I expected anything more._ "You mean to tell me that you thought the emperor of the mightiest empire in the world went out of his way to interrogate you over your measly _gambling habits_?"

Rivalz calmed down, relieved that he likely wouldn't be executed. "Yeah, chess matches against the nobility. What did you think I meant?"

As much as the image of his teenaged son besting parasitic nobles in a game of intelligence certainly amused him, the emperor had become exasperated by this long-winded and ultimately useless conversation. "You, boy, have completely wasted my time here. If I didn't still have a use for you, you'd already have punished for obstruction of law!" Rivalz took a step back in shame. "Now look at me!" He met the man's eyes.

The emperor activated his Geass and erased only memories of Nunnally in his easiest job that day. He added in memories of V.V.'s agent as well before Rivalz slumped down to the floor in a daze. On cue, the Knight of One swooped in from the side of the room and stuck a needle into the boy's arm. As Rivalz began to close his eyes and slouch over, Bismarck scooped him up into a cradle hold.

"Tell the doctors to keep them under until they've all been assembled. Then, gradually wean then off the anesthetic."

Bismarck nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

He retreated, carrying the limp blue-haired boy in his arms. As he passed through the door, the Knight of One slipped by his younger colleague waiting there. The Knight of Seven maintained a stern expression even as he regarded the unconscious form of his blue-haired friend in Bismarck's arms. The elder knight would have perhaps once considered this display of apathy unusual in a teenager, but this Eleven had dealt with more hardships in the past year then maybe most veterans. The raven-haired boy at his side was testament to that. Bismarck left silently.

As he regarded the figures approaching from the door, Charles felt his headache slowly begin to dissolve. The newly-christened knight marched forward with grudging conviction, yet the emperor's focus rested on the boy by his side. Bound in a straight-jacket once more and donning a loose bandage around his left eye, the former Eleventh Prince slowly made his way to the makeshift throne as Suzaku led him with a tug on his sleeve.

The emperor couldn't help but compare this meeting to their last. While before Lelouch had fought his restraints as best he could, this time he remained silent and docile; a vacant look occupied his one exposed eye. The boy seemed confused yet simultaneously at peace. In truth, Charles much preferred his usual fire, but these circumstances had definitely required sedatives to be administered to his troublesome son.

The pair paused before the emperor, and Suzaku wasted no time before shoving his once-friend forward. Before, Charles had felt powerful while flaunting his victory to the defeated rebel prince, the self-proclaimed 'Man of Miracles' who somehow seemed to fancy himself a god. Now, however, the emperor knew he'd receive no such pleasure in a similar action. The boy before him lacked the ambition, drive, and cunning for which he had admired his son. It was pathetic, really.

Lelouch tilted his head upwards and met the gaze of his father, the one he probably couldn't recognize right now if he tried. His brows furrowed in confusion as a single word escaped his lips. "Nunnally?"

Charles grimaced at the mention of his daughter. "No." _Not yet, but soon we'll all be united once more in a much better world. Then, we'll begin anew, I promise you._ His eyes began to glow with an unearthly light, casting shadows upon the remainder of the room, including his son before him.

* * *

Lelouch peeled open his eyelids and let out a soft groan. Immediately, the light in the room ( _where was he?_ ) blinded him and sounds began to reach his awareness. Trying to shake off the grogginess, Lelouch focused on the noises around him. As his eyes adjusted to the light some more, he started to realize that the surrounding sounds were, in fact, voices. And they all came from people sitting around where he lay. Lelouch slowly pieced together their words.

"…space! He just woke up…"

"…need to check… out for a while…"

"Hey, pal! Are you okay?"

Lelouch blinked, processing the people before him. A familiar-looking blue-haired boy leaned close to him while two girls sat alongside his bed ( _was that what it was?_ ). The girls wore matching canary-colored uniforms and the boy wore a black one. _I think I have one of those… for school?_

Then, it started to flow in a little at a time. _Ashford Academy. The student council. Rivalz, Milly, Shirley: my friends._ Suddenly understanding, Lelouch attempted to remember what question had been asked by… based on who was positioned closest, he supposed Rivalz had posed it. Not quite grasping it, Lelouch scanned their faces instead. "W-what happened?"

The three breathed out, apparently relieved that he had finally regained consciousness. Milly spoke up. "Well, all of our memories are a bit fuzzy at the moment, but it sounds like there may have been a gas leak in the student council room during a meeting. We all fainted, and Suzaku brought us to the government bureau's infirmary for treatment."

Lelouch glanced over the concrete walls. "The government bureau? Is that where we are right now?"

Rivalz nodded. "Yeah, I guess. It's a good thing Suzaku wasn't in our meeting with us or he would have fainted as well."

Though Lelouch still couldn't exactly think clearly, even he could tell something wasn't quite adding up. "Then how did he know where we were to come rescue us?"

"Oh! That's because Rolo went and found him," Shirley exclaimed. "Right, Rolo?"

"Rolo?" Lelouch let the word fall of his tongue. It felt… oddly unfamiliar.

As he contemplated this strange feeling, a younger boy stepped forward in a black Ashford Academy uniform. His sandy hair brushed his violet eyes and framed a fairly neutral expression. "Don't worry, big brother. I'm right here."

_Big brother…_ The boy's face triggered memories, including those of long-term compassion and adoration. These feelings seemed incredibly natural, much more so than the attached name, and Lelouch let them briefly overwhelm him. He gave a small smile. "I'm glad you're alright, Rolo."

Rolo startled slightly and turned away as Milly began to explain the situation. "Luckily, Rolo wasn't a part of our meeting, but he got _really_ concerned when his 'big brother' wouldn't return his calls. He immediately contacted Suzaku, and it's because of him that we all made it here in time." Milly's expression softened. "But we were really concerned about you. The rest of us all woke up around the same time, but it's been nearly two hours since then." Shirley looked away. "We weren't sure you'd ever wake up…"

"But you did, and now everything's okay!" Rivalz cheered.

Shirley smacked her blue-haired friend across the arm. "Rivalz! This is serious! Lulu could have been seriously hurt, and you're acting like nothing was ever wrong to begin with!"

As Rivalz started to apologize and calm down the enraged orangette, Shirley continued her tirade. Lelouch shared a knowing look with Milly, and then they both began to chuckle at the display. For some reason, Lelouch felt like it had been a while since he'd last experienced this comradery. He appreciated these moments when everyone was together, when they could laugh together at simple things and just enjoy each others' company. Lelouch smiled, in that instant completely oblivious to the gaping hole in his heart. _I missed this feeling._

While the Ashford Academy student council laughed at their own antics, Rolo quietly slipped away unnoticed. He paused by the door to the room, where the Knight of Seven loomed on just the other side. "Are you planning to come in, my lord?"

"No, I don't see a need to. You know your instructions, right, Rolo?"

"Yes, sir. I will report directly to you or the OSI if I notice any suspicious behavior in the subject."

"Good. Now, go back and play your part before they notice you're gone."

"Of course, my lord," Rolo replied with a nod. He returned to the bedside with the rest of the students. Suzaku watched through the window as Milly ran over to the approaching boy and immediately began feeling his biceps. Rolo blushed as Rivalz pouted and Lelouch frowned. Then, Rivalz stuttered something. The president shook her head in what appeared to be a refusal.

A smile formed on Lelouch's face, one Suzaku hadn't seen in a while. It held no hint of malice, of pride, of superiority. Instead, it resembled the joyful one he'd seen seven years ago when an exiled prince and princess played together outside in the time before fire had rained down from the sky. Now, it was Lelouch causing the world to burn.

_He doesn't deserve this happiness,_ Suzaku told himself. _Friendships aren't for men like him who only use others for their own ends. He's killed so many people, caused so much hurt to those he's supposed to be caring about…_ Suzaku's thoughts trailed off as he realized they were no longer only directed towards his former friend. He began to tread slowly away from the infirmary.

_Unlike him, I'll gladly accept my punishment in full._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Rivalz, always being knocked around by everyone else XD
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this scenario. I'd been wondering how exactly the emperor had managed to Geass the student council and how they would have reacted to meeting him in person. Well, this is my interpretation of those events.
> 
> Someone I found interesting to write about in this section was Shirley. There are many incarnations of Shirley throughout the series based on which memories she possesses at the time. This is one that is never shown in the series, so I had to figure out how exactly to handle her. If you want to know about my thought process and my interpretation of the multiple Shirleys throughout CG, keep reading. Otherwise feel free to move on.
> 
> Shirley 1: When Shirley initially discovered Lelouch = Zero, she chose to shoot Villetta to protect him. Even though Lelouch technically killed her father, she still believed in his goodness and her love for him based on past experience. Unfortunately, Mao used Shirley's guilt about firing on Villetta against her. Through his taunts, he convinced her to commit murder-suicide to atone for both her and Lelouch's sins. This left her pretty broken afterwards emotionally.
> 
> Shirley 2: Shirley doesn't remember Lelouch. She starts to form new, positive opinions about him, but is also confused over her memory loss. Shirley soon discovers Lelouch = Zero again, but she doubts that he means to harm her or anyone at Ashford
> 
> Shirley 3: We'll come back to this one.
> 
> Shirley 4: After Shirley regains her memories in R2, she still retains all of the guilt of the first encounter with Zero so she remains in emotional turmoil. Her solution is to avoid coming up with one herself, by deferring authority to someone else, in this case Suzaku. The Knight of Seven is a good friend of Shirley's and has dealt sensibly with Zero in the past so he could probably provide aid and an explanation for the memory loss Lelouch caused.
> 
> Shirley 3 (This Story): In the middle zone between R1 and R2, we never see Shirley in the show. Here, she knows Lelouch is Zero and is fond of him, just maybe not as much as her pre-amnesia state (since she can't remember the whole car accident incident where he helped out people involved). Now, she lacks the guilt caused by Villetta and Mao to offset her emotions, and she now thinks Suzaku brought his friend Lelouch to his execution, a fact she knows is false in R2 when she regains her memories since Lelouch is obviously alive. Her only reservation is how Zero threatened to fire on the school when in combat with Suzaku during the Black Rebellion, but that pales in comparison to the blame she places on the White Knight for his betrayal, hence her anger.
> 
> When brought before the emperor, Shirley is initially mad about Lelouch's execution, but she soon realizes the emperor may have answers to her memory loss since he apprehended Zero. She takes this chance to attempt to figure out the truth, no matter how futile it may be. She trades her known information (which she feels is by now a moot point) and her cooperation in exchange for an explanation to her Lelouch-centered amnesia.
> 
> So, yeah, that was an information dump. Probably no one was interested, but I figured I'd post it anyway. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you again with the next update!


	5. Imprisonment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I'm back with the final chapter of my original cross-post. This chapter is similar to Chapter 2 in that it tends to closely follow canon events but is told from an unusual perspective. It's pretty easy to figure out the setting once the chapter's begun. I feel a bit dissatisfied with this one and fear the characters may be OOC but... eh, what can you do?
> 
> Thank you everyone so much for your continued support! I enjoy writing and exploring some of my favorite characters, and I love when I can share my thoughts with others as well.
> 
> Without further ado, happy reading!

"Standing by to launch. Rendezvous point with Sir Hartgren is as planned. No changes. Course clear. Ceiling favorable. Set contact channel to Victor…"

Kanon ignored the standard announcement as the doors began to close behind himself, Diethard, and Prince Schneizel. They were moments away from escaping the clutches of the Damocles, leaving the aerial fortress to burn with the Demon Emperor still inside ( _and Princess Nunnally as well_ ). Maybe, just maybe, there'd be peace after all of this was over…

A sound of confusion came from the prince, which was never a good sign. "Huh?"

The video monitor on the ship had suddenly turned itself on and begun loading. Once it finished, the back of a familiar chair, one from the fortress's command center, appeared on-screen, and Kanon heard Schneizel give an exasperated sigh in response before he could even process what was occurring. _This can't be good._

The chair turned to reveal an all-too-familiar violet-eyed Britannian youth donned in shining imperial robes. He smirked, his hands bridged in front of him. "I've been waiting for you, Schneizel."

Prince Schneizel's head tilted forward slightly in resignation, and Kanon wondered what he could be thinking then. _Did His Highness expect this to happen? Can we still escape, now that Lelouch knows where we are and has placed himself in the center of the fortress?_

The prince lifted his head, and spoke the words Kanon really didn't want to hear. "I see. I suppose this means that you have me in checkmate."

Diethard scowled and glared back towards the doors, probably wondering if it would be worthwhile to find a different location. _Or maybe he's wondering if that's still even possible. Maybe we're already trapped here, and the only option left to us now would be to activate the detonation sequence and forfeit our own lives as well._

Schneizel approached the command chair of the craft and lowered himself into it. _He plans to converse for a while with Lelouch._ "Please tell me, I'm dying to know: just how did you discover what my plan was?"

Kanon began to tune out the conversation as he focused on Prince Schneizel himself. He exuded his usual calm, but his aide could sense the underlying stress in how he tightly folded his own hands to match Lelouch's posture. His eyes were narrowed in analysis.

As Lelouch mentioned their chess match in the Vermillion City, Kanon took notice of the piece twirled in his hand: the black king. _How fitting. The white he wears certainly doesn't match him. (The White Prince is Prince Schneizel's moniker, not yours.)_ Kanon remembered a conversation he'd had with His Highness about Lelouch and how the two royals used to play chess together in their youth. Though Schneizel always won the matches, he'd been significantly challenged by the masterful ten-year-old.

"Schneizel, this time I'm going to make sure that you lose."

"Meaning… I'll be put to death."

Kanon stiffened at those words. No, that wouldn't happen. He wouldn't allow that to happen. Prince Schneizel was… The attendant eyed the door as Diethard had been before turning back to watch his prince once more. Lelouch's position in the control room certainly cornered them in, but Kanon still retained some hope that maybe His Highness still had one final backup plan to escape his younger brother's clutches.

The image paused on-screen for a moment before speaking once more, not even smug regarding Schneizel's assumption of defeat. "I have a question. Were you intending to use the Damocles as a tool to dominate the world?"

"I wasn't. I only wanted to give everyone what they wanted, to bring peace to civilization." Kanon himself may have still been unable to determine the full truth of that statement, but he didn't really care either. Whether or not Prince Schneizel's purpose behind the construction of the Damocles was purely altruistic, Kanon knew he'd remain by his side regardless.

"Disregarding humanity's true nature?" _What is he talking about?_

Schneizel placed his left arm onto the seat and gestured loosely with the other. "That's a matter of opinion."

"Then you actually imagined you could maintain the world in a perpetual state of 'now,' but life without change could be called anything except life. It's nothing more than experience."

Schneizel rested his head on his hand in thought. "But, link those together and they become knowledge, right?"

"Schneizel, you truly are superior, so superior you can't even see it."

Kanon felt a sudden prick on his neck before an arm encircled his head in a choke hold.

"Yes, Emperor Charles sought the past, you seek the present, but I seek the future."

He tried to open his mouth to warn the prince, who seemed still focused on his brother's image, but no sound would emerge.

"But the future may prove to be worse than the present."

His body wouldn't obey him, and Kanon soon realized that the man holding him in place was barely using any force at all to do so.

"No, it will be better because no matter how long it takes, people will continue to seek out happiness."

_A paralytic…_ his mind told him distantly. Diethard must have met the same fate as well, though Kanon couldn't turn to check.

"Even though that will end up making people greedy." Schneizel chuckled, oblivious to the intrusion occurring behind him. "Your folly also knows no limit. You're really too emotional about this."

Kanon immediately recognized the uniform of the man restricting him as one of their own. _So, we've come to this then? He's already woven the web of his Geass, and now we await the killing blow._

"Hopes and dreams are merely names for aimless fiction."

_That they are indeed, Your Highness…_

"You're restricted since you belong to the symbol known as a royal family, which looks down on the world."

_You were right, my prince. We were all doomed from the moment we boarded this ship. But maybe it reaches further back than even that…_

"I've seen it over and over, the people who struggle against sadness, those who seek the future, how they all carry on wishing for happiness. Human nature is why I chose Geass and to wear a mask."

"Lelouch, you're contradicting yourself."

A familiar boy strode past Kanon's immobilized form, his white robes highlighting the darkness of his hair. Kanon's eyes widened. _Lelouch! But how is he here? He's supposed to be in the control room!_

"You, who continually deny the will of others, are standing here before us affirming the will of humanity."

_Prince Schneizel, please…_

_"_ That's enough. Kill me now and be done with it, but a F.L.E.I.J.A. will still decimate you."

_Your Highness…_

"We will gladly give our lives to bring peace to the world –" The prince paused, surprised when a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder. Kanon watched it unfold in horror, unable to even open his mouth in warning.

"And that's how I came to my decision…" the Lelouch on the screen stated. It was his real-life counterpart's next words that drained Kanon of any remaining hope. "…that I'd give you the gift of the words ' ** _you shall serve Zero_**.'"

"You never intended to kill me at all! You wanted to –!" Then, Schneizel halted abruptly, and Kanon knew that the Geass had taken effect.

Somehow, the aide found the ability to speak, even if only for a moment. "H-highness…"

"D-damn it. Why didn't I see it coming?" The additional voice reminded Kanon of the newsman beside him. He wondered how Diethard had managed to overcome the drugs enough to voice his shock. Regardless, the man's next proclamation confirmed one of Kanon's suspicions upon watching the events unfold as they did. "He anticipated Schneizel's thoughts and recorded that conversation."

As Schneizel rose from his seat and knelt subserviently before his younger brother, Kanon couldn't help but feel mortified at the sheer indignity of the situation. _A prince of your caliber… shouldn't be kneeling to anyone…_ "Order me to do whatever you wish, Master Zero."

"Schneizel, your willingness to let yourself be killed is exactly what led you to be defeated."

Kanon then heard a scuffle occur next to him, though he still couldn't turn his head to observe it fully.

"Don't move!" Diethard's voice rang out, and once again Kanon envied his strange ability to take action despite the paralytic. _Perhaps it wore off faster for him…_ The aide eyed his prince once more. _…even if his actions will be in vain._ Sure enough, Kanon watched with an empty dissociation as Diethard denounced the boy emperor only to receive a bullet in return.

Schneizel shielded the gun he'd just fired, completely apathetic to the inevitable death of a once-ally. Kanon couldn't even remember the last time his prince had chosen to fire his own weapon. _Prince Schneizel… a man would sacrifice his own life without any hesitation. Such is the power of Geass…_ Kanon cared less as Diethard died than he suspected he ought, but the journalist's obsessive tendencies and limited morals made sympathy a challenge.

The aide absently heard as Lelouch issued the predictable order to cancel the air-fortress's self-destruct sequence, but Schneizel's response brought him back to reality. "Understood, however, Nunnally is the one who has the F.L.E.I.J.A. control switch." Lelouch tightened at the revelation.

Kanon knew that they'd been planning to abandon Nunnally aboard the Damocles before their defeat, and, though he never completely agreed with the decision, he at least trusted Schneizel's own judgement that the particular course of action would be their best bet against Lelouch. Now, however, when the demon emperor had access to her, Kanon found himself concerned once more. Briefly forgetting about the vi Britannia siblings' past years with each other and focusing only on the boy's effective slaughter of the rest of his siblings, Kanon suddenly feared for the innocent, blind, and crippled girl. _She doesn't deserve this…_

"And where would my sister currently be?"

"Nunnally is within the gardens at the center of the fortress."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes in thought, regarding his entranced brother. Then, he turned his gaze to Kanon, causing a weak involuntary shiver to ripple through his immobilized body. Kanon was thankful that the boy had already replaced his contacts; he knew he wouldn't be able to tolerate the stare of Geass. As terrifying as the piercing violet eyes could be, Kanon felt a familiarity after years of Schneizel's gaze. He had a greater fear of being drawn into the alluring crimson pools.

Lelouch broke his concentration to address Schneizel once more. "I'll visit the gardens to retrieve the F.L.E.I.J.A. control switch. Go to the command center and disable the self-destruct sequence for the Damocles. When you've finished, meet me in the navigation room."

The blonde bowed slightly. "Yes, my lord." Kanon felt slightly nauseous at the display.

Then, Lelouch faced him again. "As for you…" He made eye contact with each of the two guards present. "Take him to the navigation room as well. If he appears to be recovering from the injection, administer another dose immediately."

The two guards saluted simultaneously. "Yes, Your Majesty!"

The demon emperor smirked. "Come on, then." He brushed past Kanon to exit the craft, Schneizel following obediently behind like his shadow. Kanon caught the scent of the man's cologne as he passed, reminding him again of just how devastating their suffered loss had been.

The guard holding Kanon shifted his grip to underneath his right arm as the other guard grabbed his left. They dragged him along, knees scraping across the floor, not that Kanon could feel the pain. Lacking the muscle control to even raise his head, Kanon allowed it to droop limply. He shifted his eyes to the body still occupying the floor. Diethard would likely be left here, forgotten like all the others slaughtered during this pointless conquest. _Is this what we were destined to become? Insignificant?_

Kanon imagined a proud chess piece, the black king. _We've been reduced to nothing but pawns. Us, Britannia, the Black Knights, the UFN, the royal family… it's the fate to which all who come in contact with Lelouch eventually succumb._ Kanon tore his gaze away from the journalist's corpse as he passed.

_We've lost._

* * *

As soon as they reached the navigation room, the guards dropped Kanon onto the floor – a giant map – where he crumpled in a heap. _I need to get up…_ The aide tried to gather any strength he could to at least move something, anything. _The drugs must be wearing off by now…_ Kanon was beginning to feel sensation, or at least the existence of the floor below pressed up against his body. _There must be something I can do…_ Focusing solely on his head, Kanon worked to raise it, and, though it took immense effort, he managed to bring it a few centimeters off the ground. He tried to maintain his position for as long as possible, but soon the shaking became too great, and Kanon was forced to rest once more. _This is… progress…_

Kanon repeated the process a few more times, ever aware that if he moved too much he may receive another dose of the sedative. Though the man couldn't see the current position of the guards that had _escorted_ him, he assumed they couldn't be too far away. Kanon decided to take a risk at one point, however, and raised his head significantly, carrying his body upwards a little as well. Then, Kanon heard a click sound from either side of him. Turning his head slowly, he spotted the two guns now pointed in his direction, brandished by two masked members of Lelouch's own forces.

Not daring to move any more, Kanon chose instead to survey the room from his newfound height. He paused, recognizing a familiar figure even through the darkness. Across the map stood the former second prince of Britannia, stoic, yet seemingly regarding Kanon all the same. It hurt. Kanon felt so many questions race through his mind, so many things he needed answers to. _Can you still think, or has your extraordinary mind been taken from you as well? Am I now only an enemy to you? Do you even recognize who I am?_

Kanon breathed out his exasperation weakly. "Your Highness…"

The aide watched, mystified, as his prince's lips began to part. A response… Kanon hadn't really been expecting one. Time slowed then, and the surroundings faded into obscurity around the two men. Kanon could see the small changes on Schneizel's face, as his eyes shifted back and forth in contemplation. As they widened in recognition. As his expression softened slightly, only enough that his aide would notice. _"Kanon…"_ he heard in his mind before it was spoken, the prince's rich voice enveloping his thoughts in its warmth, providing a blanket of comfort in an otherwise barren sea of isolation.

The moment broke as blue light flooded the room from below. The unspoken words lingered on Schneizel's lips for only an instant before being swallowed down and forgotten.

Lelouch entered then in all his glory, his white robes brushing against the glowing light. Kanon scowled when the boy flicked his violet eyes his way, but then he just continued on as if nothing were the matter, as if Kanon didn't even hold enough significance to deserve his attention. It was only when Kanon finally noticed Lelouch grasping something in his left hand that he faintly heard the rumble of an explosion outside. _He…_

The emperor turned towards the cameraman (Kanon hadn't even noticed him in the room) and ordered in his same serious tone, "Begin rolling."

A curt "Yes, Your Majesty" could be heard before the cameraman obliged. He began to count down, focusing the lens on the man who had likely enthralled him against his will. As the worker made a fist at the end, Lelouch visibly straightened, plastering a triumphant smirk onto his face. A red light blinked on.

"Attention entire world! Hear my proclamation! I am Lelouch vi Britannia, emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire and your only ruler!"

Kanon blanched slightly upon realizing what was going on. _The entire world… he's claiming his victory…_

"Schneizel has surrendered to me." _Prince Schneizel would never surrender to you._ "As a result of this, I am now in control of both the Damocles and the F.L.E.I.J.A. weapons, and even the Black Knights no longer possess the strength to oppose me now."

As much as Kanon hated to admit it, he was right. Only Zero had gotten them as far as they'd come, and though Prince Schneizel had managed to reign them together for one final stand, they would inevitably fall apart without proper leadership. Tohdoh was an experienced soldier, not a commander willing to take risks, and Li Xingke would likely be on his deathbed before the Black Knights could hope to pose any further resistance.

"If anyone dares to resist my supreme authority, they shall know the devastating power of the F.L.E.I.J.A.s. Those who could challenge my military rule no longer exist. Yes, from this day, from this moment forward, the world belongs to me! Lelouch vi Britannia commands you…" He swept his arm outwards in an elaborate fashion. "…obey me subjects! Obey me world!"

The cameraman saluted and waited a moment before shutting off the camera. The red light faded. Lelouch slowly dropped his arm to his side, and his face regained a more neutral expression. Kanon looked away from the demon and instead focused again on Schneizel. He hadn't moved since before Lelouch's speech, but now he gazed at his brother as if he were waiting for something. Orders, probably.

"Take him to be locked up. I want him out of my sight."

It took Kanon a minute to realize that the words had been directed towards him. He turned to the demon emperor, who had diverted his attention. Lelouch now glared at him with his eyes narrowed, as if he were regarding simple filth. Kanon made sure to return the expression. _If he planned to imprison me, why make me watch this speech?_ The former aide lowered his head when the answer finally came to him. _So I would absolutely know my defeat._

As the guards on either side began to drag him out, Kanon managed to right his feet on the ground in support. "I can walk," he stated forcefully. Half expecting to be tranquilized once more, Kanon was almost surprised when the guards didn't respond, allowing him to walk on his own as they guided him with their grip.

Another guard rushed past into the navigation room. "Your Majesty, the retrieval efforts were a success."

Kanon disregarded the unimportant declaration and focused on only one word as they walked onwards into the depths of the fortress. _A success. That's all this is to him. Finally winning his match against Prince Schneizel that's been prolonged for so many years. If this were a fair playing field…_

The man's thoughts halted as he was suddenly pushed forwards into one of the Damocles' prison cells. A thud sounded as he collided with the stone floor and the door slid closed behind him. He forced himself upwards to see that the guards had already retreated, their orders fulfilled. Kanon gave a soft sight.

_I guess this is where I'm to spend the rest of my days._

* * *

Time passed, so much that Kanon couldn't even tell how long it had been. The prison had been built without an indication of natural light, so his sense of time had been altered quickly. Of course, in the beginning, Kanon had been alone, remaining as possibly the only person on the Damocles not influenced by the power of Lelouch's Geass. As the cells around him began filling with captured members of the Black Knights and their affiliates, Kanon would ask them of the date. _July 17_ _th_ _, July 20_ _th_ _, August 1_ _st_ _…_ He soon stopped asking.

The first to arrive, oddly enough, had been the Knight of Six, Anya Alstreim. A guard escorted her past his cell in silence, presumably to the one adjacent. From a brief glance, Kanon could tell something was different about her. He expected to find evidence of weakness or weariness from the battle, but all he saw on her face was a wide-eyed look of thoughtful confusion, as if she were herself at a distance and preoccupied with more important matters than being captured by the enemy. He'd never seen the young knight ever express so much emotion.

Once the guard left, Kanon tried to reach out to her. "Lady Alstreim?"

For a moment, there was silence, but then Kanon swore he could hear a soft "Hm?" through the wall.

He continued. "Are you alright? What happened out on the battlefield?"

"Am I… okay?" she repeated absently. "Yes… I believe so…" She trailed off, and Kanon couldn't figure out if the time in-between responses could be attributed to thinking or a refusal to answer. Anya continued then. "I lost a duel to Jeremiah Gottwald and fell unconscious. When I awoke, I was already in this fortress, surrounded by guards." The girl fell silent after that short explanation, and Kanon never conversed with her again.

The next to be brought in were two members of the Black Knights, ones Kanon could easily identify as General Kyoshiro Tohdoh and one of his 'Four Holy Swords', Nagisa Chiba. It seemed that the leadership structure of the Black Knights had already collapsed, and Kanon made sure to meet their gazes as they passed so they knew just how foolish they'd been to trust in Zero. He couldn't tell if either took notice, since they both seemed preoccupied. Bandages wrapped around the general's head and parts of his arms, but that didn't stop the guards escorting him from shoving him forcefully ahead regardless.

Chiba took notice of this, and perhaps her own rough treatment as well. She snapped at the guard, "Can't you see he's injured?! Let him walk on his own!" After receiving no response, the woman began to turn on the guard escorting her with a growl –

They paused before two open cells, and Chiba could tell what was about to occur. She rounded to face the guard behind her fully. "No, we need to be in the same cell. His wounds are still fresh so he requires assistance in – "

_Slap!_

Chiba reflexively brought her hand to her cheek from the pain, but she soon lowered it again out of pride.

Tohdoh faced her, distressed. "Chiba –"

"Know your place, prisoner. If you continue to cause trouble, I will not hesitate to report you to His Majesty." Though Kanon was sure the two probably had a few choice words for the current emperor of Britannia, they both remained silent. Neither refused any further as they were placed in their separate cells, isolated from one another by a concrete wall.

Eventually the pair realized his occupancy in the prison as well, and they questioned what exactly happened aboard the Damocles during the Battle of Mt. Fuji.

"Lelouch… was one step ahead of us," Kanon answered.

"And the Second Prince…?"

Kanon focused his eyes on the ground below. "His Highness won't be helping us any time soon."

Another one of the Black Knights, Kaname Ohgi, came in a little later. He kept his head down the entire time, scowling, as he was led into Tohdoh's cell.

Throughout his stay, Kanon was grateful for the humane cells Prince Schneizel had commissioned with the fortress; they had ample space, easy-to-maintain facilities, and beds that were at least slightly more tolerable than the stone floor. The room soon dwindled, however, as his cell gained two other occupants, the first being the eccentric creator of the Lancelot, Lloyd Asplund.

Lloyd and a large group of others had all been brought in together. Kanon wondered if perhaps Lelouch had raided some sort of base to have rounded them up at once. Some faces were expected: the former chairwoman of the U.F.N. Kaguya Sumeragi, the creator of the Guren Rakshata Chawla, the Tianzi of the Chinese Federation, and that nation's leading general Li Xingke. All four had been known associates of the Black Knights. Lloyd Asplund and his assistant Cecile Croomy, however… Kanon thought they'd followed Kururugi and the Lancelot over to Lelouch's Britannia. So why were they now imprisoned as well?

The Tianzi and Kaguya joined Anya in a cell (the Japanese princess immediately embraced the quivering form of the young Chinese empress), Xingke joined Tohdoh and Ohgi, and Rakshata joined Chiba. Ohgi looked around at the occupants of the prison who had just arrived before he locked eyes with Xingke. "I don't see any of those left back on Horai Island. Are they –?"

The Chinese man answered solemnly. "I sent them a notice to evacuate as soon as Lelouch's message was broadcasted. With luck, they managed to escape before imperial forces reached their location. I have faith that Xianglin could handle the situation."

Ohgi sighed in relief, and Kanon wondered if perhaps that woman he was with during the Second Battle for Tokyo – Villetta Nu, he thought – was still on their island base. Hopefully those remaining had heeded the evacuation notice. Considering the base's association with the Black Knights, Lelouch could probably breach their security systems without any difficulty. He may have even designed those systems himself.

"Do you think they'll come for us?" Ohgi continued.

Xingke looked away. "Only Zero could ever pull off such a miracle. I would hope that none of them would be so foolish as to try."

Kanon was surprised when the guards opened his own door to allow Lloyd inside. "My, my," Lloyd tittered, not the least bit bothered by the circumstances surrounding him. "It's just like old times, eh?"

Kanon assumed he was referring to them both working for Schneizel while A.S.E.E.C. was still under the prince. "Yes, it is. Though I have to wonder why things didn't stay as they were." He met Lloyd's unusually-solemn expression with a hardened gaze, to let him know that he made a mistake in leaving their side. "How is it that you ended up in here with the rest of us?"

Lloyd shrugged, raising his arms slightly in the process. "A change of heart, you could say. Several of us decided to free the U.F.N. hostages during the battle, and now here we all are."

Kanon was skeptical of this claim. It seemed unlike Lloyd to suddenly start caring about anything other than his own technology, the technology he'd abandoned to the demon emperor. He wanted to call out the man on his absurdity, but the lack of dispute from any of the other inmates solidified the truth of his words. Kanon sighed to himself. _A whole lot of good it did him. Now he's only joined them in their capture._

A woman – Doctor Chawla, he presumed, based on the Indian accent – scoffed. "Don't expect the Earl of Pudding to tell you anything. I've been trying to figure out his logic for years, and still none of it makes sense."

Lloyd wasn't the scientist from the group that Kanon was most interested in, however, nor was his Indian counterpart. After the others had settled in, two more were brought: a Japanese woman with short brown hair whom Kanon didn't recognize but assumed was a member of the Black Knights, and another girl he had been praying was still alive. "Nina," he spoke as she passed him by.

She turned, her eyes widening in relief. "Kanon!" A guard shoved her forwards, and she cried out a little in surprise. Both she and the Japanese woman were left in the same cell as Cecile Croomy. Thankfully, the violet-haired woman went over to comfort the younger girl as she was thrown in.

Kanon waited for the guards to leave before speaking again. "Nina, are you alright?"

A pause. He could hear her smoothing down her clothing. "Yeah, I think so. Are you?"

Kanon sighed a little. "I hardly think any of us are at the moment. But, regardless, a reunion such as this is still appreciated. It's been far too long, Nina."

"…yes, I know." What Kanon wanted to know was how Nina had ended up imprisoned with the rest of this lot. The last he'd known, she'd left the military after the Second Battle of Tokyo then went into hiding as soon as Lelouch took the throne. Before he could ask, she continued instead. "I'm sorry, Kanon."

Expecting an answer to his own question, Kanon replied, "For what?'

"For creating the F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads."

That…hadn't been what he'd anticipated. "Nina, that's not-"

"No!" Kanon stopped. "It _is_ my responsibility! Millions of people died in the Tokyo settlement because of me! If I hadn't made such a huge mistake…"

As she trailed off, Schneizel's aide finally realized how much guilt the girl had been carrying around with her these past few weeks. He spoke softly. "No, you weren't the one to fire the weapons, Nina. You only contributed knowledge for the greater good of humanity."

"It was because of me that they even had to make that choice! Suzaku, Prince Schneizel… Lelouch." She breathed a little. "During the Second Battle for Tokyo, I… I was telling him – Suzaku – that he should fire the F.L.E.I.J.A." She stopped. "No, I didn't just tell him. I begged him, pleaded him, because I was scared. I just…" She sniffled a little. "…I didn't want anyone else I cared about to die."

Kanon remembered how distraught Nina had been when Zero killed Princess Euphemia. The volatile genius had almost managed to blow up her entire school out of trauma. "Nina, you – "

"Is that how they felt too, Kanon?"

"Hm?"

"Were all the Elevens that scared right before they died as well?! Before everyone they ever loved erupted in a massive explosion that I created just because I could?!" She added quietly, "That's not what Princess Euphemia would have wanted."

Kanon remembered the girl's fixation with the deceased princess and treaded carefully. "It's done now, Nina. We all did what we thought we must for the safety of _our_ country and _our_ people. That's all that could be expected."

Kanon was grateful that the members of the Black Knights present had decided to remain silent during this exchange; any interjections towards her involvement in the catastrophe would have certainly only heightened her guilt. Kanon supposed the wise choice could be attributed to the fact that only the leadership of the Black Knights were detained here (minus the redheaded loudmouth from the Tokyo meeting), and they were at least mature enough to understand the consequences of their actions.

While Nina seemed to be calming down somewhat, Kanon risked a question. "Nina?" No response. "What happened since we last saw each other?"

For a while, the girl didn't answer, and Kanon wondered if perhaps he had lost her. Then, she started slowly. "I… after I left the military, I sought refuge with my friends from Ashford, Milly and Rivalz. You remember them, right? Milly was at the wedding in the Chinese Federation."

Kanon affirmed this, and she continued. "Well, all was going well until the day of the U.F.N. meeting at Ashford Academy, the one Lelouch would be attending." Kanon noticed her familiarity with calling the demon emperor by only his first name, and he wondered how close the two had been when they'd both attended Ashford Academy together. "I was afraid that, if he saw me, he might take an interest in my research. I had already told myself that I would never continue working with the F.L.E.I.J.A. technology, even if it were for an old friend." _Yet, that old friend probably could have forced you to manufacture the weapons against your will if he so desired. You may have already unknowingly handed him all of your research._

"So, I found my friend Rivalz – he has a motorbike – and asked him to take me as far away from Ashford Academy as he could." Nina smiled slightly. "Rivalz… he's a nice guy. I don't think I've ever caught him being mean to me or anyone else. He agreed, though he seemed a bit shaken by the request. We didn't get very far until we encountered a military blockade where we were met by… some guards. I guess Lelouch had already been looking for me before he arrived in Japan. They took me to see him then, after the capture of the U.F.N."

Kanon's eyes widened. "You met with him personally?"

"Yeah…"

"What do you remember about the experience?" _He might have used his Geass on her then._ Kanon could feel his fellow prisoners leaning in, awaiting the response. He never once turned to watch Lloyd's reaction to the story behind him.

"…I was scared. Very scared. I still didn't understand how Lelouch – the vice president of Ashford Academy I'd known for years – had become the Emperor of the most powerful nation on the planet. What was he going to do to me? Did he want my research? He had to have wanted my research."

"…And?"

"He requested the one thing of me that I was more than happy to provide." She paused. "He asked me to develop a countermeasure to the F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead."

Kanon thought to when Nunnally had apparently fired the weapon at the approaching Shinkiro only for the unit to breach the Damocles' shield in the process. "And you accepted?"

"Of course I did! It was the perfect opportunity to fix what I'd allowed to happen in Area Eleven."

He closed his eyes. "But now Lelouch has both the F.L.E.I.J.A.s and their countermeasure to use as he pleases, correct?"

"Yes, I suppose so…"

At this point, Kanon couldn't tell if she regretted her decision or not. Yet… he couldn't blame her for what she'd done. Her part in the Tokyo disaster – no matter how small – had obviously left her with a severe amount of guilt. It didn't even sound like Lelouch had needed to use his Geass on the distraught girl; his offer was a godsend, an absolution to her.

He wanted to talk with her more, about anything really. Maybe conversation with the girl could finally take his mind off the events of the past few days. However… Nina had gone silent in thought for now, and Kanon didn't want to interrupt that. Thinking was, after all, her greatest gift and when she was most at ease.

"Ow! Would you loosen up already, you Britannian dogs?"

Kanon peered down the hallway to see two newcomers with accompanying guards: two men he assumed were members of the Black Knights, one with blue hair and one with red. It was the latter who had spoken, likely complaining about the guards' tight grip (a fact Kanon remembered well himself). _Ah, the loudmouth,_ he remembered. _Shinichiro Tamaki_.

He started to squirm. "Hey, did you hear me? I said – !"

_Slap!_

It was the same response Chiba had received, but Tamaki didn't accept it in quite the same manner. He groaned a little before yelling back, "Oh, is that it then? You want a fight? Well I'll give you a fight! How do you think you'll do without _His Majesty_ around to command your sorry asses – ?!"

A knee connected with his back, and Tamaki was forced to the ground. "You will _not_ speak of the emperor in such a manner!"

The redhead growled a little, seemingly about to rise and strike back. Then, his blue-haired companion spoke. "Tamaki… just stop."

He whipped his eyes upwards. "What, and bow down to the damn Brits, Sugiyama?" He started to pull himself upwards.

The other man – Sugiyama – replied. "No, but mouthing off won't do you any good besides getting beaten for their own sick enjoyment. Do us all a favor, and just shut the hell up for once."

Tamaki froze, looking between Sugiyama and the guards with a scowl. Eventually, he growled and let the guards lead them into an unoccupied cell.

A little while later, perhaps a few days, another two familiar faces appeared in the hall. The boy wore an unusually-solemn expression while the girl seemed to have lost all hope in the situation. Kallen Kozuki joined Chiba and Rakshata in a cell while Kanon found himself surprised when his own door opened to allow another occupant. The former Knight of Three, Gino Weinberg, stepped inside.

The boy sized up both Kanon and Lloyd, briefly glaring at the latter before turning away. He then observed the number of occupants in the prison. Addressing only Schneizel's aide, Gino stated bitterly, "It seems like quite a party down here."

Kanon breathed. "Yes, in case you haven't noticed, it seems we were all on the losing end of a battle to determine the fate of the entire world."

He eyed Lloyd again. "Yeah, it appears so." He turned back to Kanon. "On the bright side, we at least managed to get rid of one traitorous pilot during the battle."

"Oh?"

"The Knight of Zero is dead."

At the proclamation, nearly everyone in the prison turned towards the blonde. Lloyd exclaimed something about the fate of the Lancelot, but no one paid him any mind.

Tohdoh spoke up, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "You're telling me that you managed to kill Suzaku, one of the best pilots the world has ever seen?"

Gino opened his mouth to speak when Ohgi interjected. "Are you sure he's dead?"

The boy beamed. "I saw it happen with my own two eyes. With the damage inflicted to his frame, there's no way he survived. And, you all tend to forget that you have on your side another one of the greatest pilots in the world. Isn't that right, Kallen?"

Kanon understood now that Kozuki had landed the killing blow in her own ninth generation frame. No one else would have been able to get close.

The girl remained silent, however, even after Gino's prompting. He tried again, this time approaching the wall separating their two cells. "Kallen –?"

"Please, Gino. I just want to be left alone."

The knight scratched the back of his head. "Hey, I just wanted to spread the one piece of good news we came bearing. You killed the traitor to your nation! Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

Silence. "…shut up."

Gino's brows curled upwards. "Kallen, what's wrong?" A pause. "Is it about Lelouch –?"

The ace slammed her fist into the wall behind her. "I said shut up! Can't you see even that accomplishment won't do us any good right now? We're stuck here and guess what? No one's coming to save us anytime soon. In the end, it doesn't matter whether that asshole is dead or alive. He was only a pawn, the same as the rest of us…" Kallen's voice dipped a little softer, but it became laced with venom. "And don't you _dare_ speak his name to me ever again. Do you understand?"

Kanon knew the last sentence wasn't about Kururugi.

No one spoke after that. No one spoke for a while after that. Occasionally some small talk would occur, often either between the scientists or between the young rulers interlocked in each others' arms. It would never amount to anything significant, however, and silence would befall them like a blanket.

Kanon fell asleep against the concrete wall.

The days began to pass once more.

* * *

Kanon didn't know what to expect the day Jeremiah Gottwald and about ten other faceless guards came to visit the prisoners. Torture? Intimidation? The latter objective had certainly been achieved merely by the man's presence. Though Kanon had heard about the planned Code-R modifications from Prince Schneiz el, this was the first time he'd laid eyes on the cyborg in person. Most of the changes remained hidden by his uniform, but the plates of golden metal covering half his face made his expression seem all the sterner.

The man swept his exposed eye over the prisoners as if judging them one by one. Kanon narrowed his eyes, and he was sure everyone else around him was doing the same thing. _What made him defect to the side of the demon emperor, even so far back as when he still donned the mask of Zero?_

The Knight of Orange cleared his throat then proclaimed in a voice Kanon thought must have been amplified synthetically, "Tohdoh, Ohgi, Chiba, Kozuki, Sugiyama, Tamaki, Sumeragi, Xingke, Lihua, Weinberg, Alstriem, and Maldini: your execution shall occur two days from today. Until then, we are moving you to a temporary holding facility."

Kanon couldn't say he was surprised. It probably only took Lelouch as long as it did because he'd been 'cleaning up' after the Battle of Mt. Fuji. That, and they probably weren't worth the emperor's precious time. The former earl only wished he could've had the opportunity to say some proper goodbyes before it occurred –

"You… bastard! You're saying _His Majesty_ ordered the execution of children? Her Majesty the Tianzi is only thirteen, and even Lady Sumeragi and the former Knight of Six are only fifteen themselves."

Everyone turned to look at Li Xingke as he spoke then to the cell holding the three young girls in question. Anya seemed a little surprised, but otherwise unaffected ( _was she looking at Gottwald for something in particular?_ ). Meanwhile, the young Chinese Empress had nestled into the folds of Kaguya's straight-jacket, appearing to be on the brink of tears. "Xingke…?"

"The punishment for opposing the will of His Majesty is equal no matter the party involved."

Kanon eyed his eccentric cellmate whose name hadn't been called, but he remained silent. None of the scientists' names had been listed, not even Rakshata's. If it weren't for her omission, Kanon would have questioned the validity of the initial betrayal. With her inclusion however… it seemed more likely that Lelouch still had some use for the four genii. _Which group of us is receiving the harsher sentence, I wonder._

The guards entered the cells and began removing the prisoners one at a time. The glares exchanged could have melted steel, but none of the masked men seemed to take any notice. As Kanon was led out of his cell, he heard a soft voice behind him. "See you soon, Kanon."

The former earl gave a somber smile to himself, unsure if the girl had meant for him to hear her prayer. _Yes, Nina, in hell maybe for all we've done._

* * *

A parade. Kanon had expected their execution to be public – a ploy to solidify Lelouch's reign – but a parade seemed excessive. Was it to extend the crowd? To prolong the procession? It all seemed reminiscent of Jeremiah's stunt with Kururugi following Prince Clovis's murder, but instead of invoking a false sense of security, Lelouch's propaganda would invoke a very true sense of hopelessness.

Kanon found himself bounded to a post between the Black Knights' ace and the former Knight of Three. The two had barely spoken a word to each other since they'd first been imprisoned, and Kanon was grateful that no one felt like talking now. Most of the Black Knights were positioned across from him, so Kanon could see how their eyes were cast downwards, how they refused to acknowledge the imposing presence of their former leader.

Only Kanon dared turn his head as they moved, watching the back of the procession. He could block out Lelouch and his smug expression of victory easily enough. It took a little more effort to tear his eyes from the chained form of the emperor's crippled sister ( _we almost left her to die; will she be executed here as well?_ ), and Kanon wasn't sure whether to feel overjoyed or pity the young girl who had finally managed to open her eyes for the first time in years only to see what a monster her brother had become.

Who he couldn't look away from was the blonde man chained to the post at the front of Lelouch's float, who, even in rags, Kanon would always consider royalty. His prince. Kanon hadn't seen him since their defeat aboard the Damocles, but barely anything had changed. Schneizel's vacant expression betrayed the lingering effects of Geass, and Kanon doubted the man really had any idea what was going on around him.

_Prince Schneizel_ , he thought, _if only we'd had just a little more time._

Some announcer continually praised _His Majesty_ and all of his glorious accomplishments, but Kanon managed to tune out the falsely-enthusiastic voice as he focused only on the blonde man of his interest. He vaguely wondered if his family was watching this broadcast, if they cared any more about his fate now that their status of nobility had been stripped of them.

The procession stopped, and a few Knightmares switched into active mode.

Kanon broke his gaze with the prince and saw a few of the despondent Black Knights lift their heads in confusion. They all shifted their attention to the parade route, eyes widening when they saw what awaited them there.

Sword in hand and midnight cloak waving, there he stood, the Man of Miracles no one ever expected to see again: Zero.

Kanon had no idea what was going on. Gasps of the vigilante's name rippled through both the crowd and the prisoners, though for very different reasons. He checked with the rest of the Black Knights to make sure Lelouch was still on the throne, but it seemed he'd never left. If it weren't for the boy's shocked expression, Kanon would have wondered if the appearance of this 'Zero' had been another ploy, a decoy to be firmly defeated by the iron fist of the demon emperor. But, that didn't seem to be the case.

Then, 'Zero' took off towards the convoy.

Something felt strangely familiar to Kanon as the masked figure skillfully dodged the KMF fire, but he couldn't quite place it. Jeremiah unsheathed a blade from his sleeve and charged at the intruder, but 'Zero' leaped over his shoulder and onto the emperor's platform, dodging both chained members of royalty in the process.

As the vigilante finally stopped before Lelouch, the demon emperor pulled a pistol from his side and shouted, "Impudent fool!" He never had a chance to fire, however, as 'Zero' had already swatted the weapon from his grasp.

'Zero' pulled his sword back, and the world erupted.

Something definitely wasn't adding up. Obviously, this wasn't the original Zero, as the former owner of that mantle currently seemed to be at the receiving end of the man's blade. In that case, an outsider would have needed to don the infamous mask to complete this mission. But why would he need to use the disguise of Zero then, a presumed dead terrorist? Because he knew the people already supported him? Because he didn't want to reveal his identity?

And why did the security seem so light for such a high-profile event? Jeremiah had only briefly fallen, the Knightmares only tried to shoot once, and still Lelouch had been left wide open.

Kanon registered the screams of the Japanese princess and the ace of the Black Knights, and it dawned on him that the two girls suddenly didn't want the hated demon emperor to die.

'Zero' plunged his sword into the white robes of the demon emperor, soaking them with red. Lelouch slouched forward and, for the first time in a while, looked like the boy he was. Kanon wished he could discern the boy's expression as he leaned into the arms of his attacker.

The blade was withdrawn and Lelouch stumbled forward before he tripped and slid down to his sister below, leaving a trail of blood stained across the Britannian flag.

Kanon watched as the young princess approached her brother, but he could no longer hear anything other than the roar of the crowd around him. Lelouch slumped to the side, and Kanon could see Nunnally's shoulders shake with violent sobs as the life left her brother's body.

A familiar voice pierced the chaos from behind him. "Lelouch the demon is dead! Free his prisoners!"

_Princess Cornelia?_ Kanon wondered. Spectators rushed into the area from all directions, ready to heed the woman's command.

Everyone's gaze remained fixed on their messiah, the masked man who now stood triumphantly atop the float of the demon he'd slain.

"Is that who I think it is?" Kanon heard Tohdoh say in awe before being interrupted by Kallen in affirmation of 'Zero'.

So, Tohdoh knew the identity of this imposter and likely Kallen did as well. Kanon was beginning to put together the pieces of the puzzle, about why 'Zero' had chosen now to make a move, about why Lelouch had seemed so careless, and about why so many of Lelouch's former allies now seemed so distraught by their executioner's downfall.

Most importantly, Kanon could recall a time or two when he'd walked in on training sessions for the Rounds at the Viceroy's Palace in Area 11. This 'Zero' was most likely not an outsider, and his appearance was most likely not unexpected.

_Yes, Emperor Charles sought the past,_ Lelouch had said to his elder brother, _you seek the present, and I seek the future._

But, no matter what the reasoning was for the day's events, or even for Lelouch's reign in its entirety, Kanon couldn't really say he cared about the origins of this 'Zero'. The important part of this turmoil was that none of them would be executed. He shifted his gaze a bit downwards, to the lower levels of the emperor's float. _And we'll all be free of others' machinations once and for–_

Kanon thought his prince would have changed now that Lelouch was dead, now that his Geass had been broken. He expected a thoughtful look of analysis or maybe even an attempt to communicate with Kanon from a distance. But he found none of those things. Schneizel peered slightly behind him as best he could, watching 'Zero' intently. His eyes were wide and still a little confused. He didn't seem at all affected by the surge of rescuers or even by the sudden reemergence of his violet-haired sister he'd shot aboard the Damocles.

The Geass on Schneizel had not been broken.

No way existed for Kanon to know for sure yet, but this… it still wasn't his prince. Maybe Lelouch was gone, and maybe Schneizel couldn't directly receive any more orders from his younger brother, but Kanon had no way of knowing what lasting commands had been placed upon him in the time they'd been apart.

Schneizel's aide tried to remember Lelouch's exact words he'd initially said to his brother on the Damocles to place him under his power, but Kanon thought it had only been to obey him. What, then, had caused the Geass to last?

Kanon listened to the chants of "Zero!" surround him and waited to be released by the rescue party. Hopefully, Schneizel wasn't currently a danger to Kanon or anyone else, but he didn't want to consider that right now. The aide would rush to his prince's side, find out what exactly was missing, and they would get through it together.

No one would separate them now, especially not 'Zero'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, so many characters at once! And does anyone else feel like the CG community is severely lacking in Kanon-based discussions? He's just such an odd character, and he never gets any attention. I hope I did justice to his... "special" relationship with Schneizel. ;)
> 
> Nina was interesting to write about here too, especially because, no matter how obnoxious she could be for most of the series, the creators attempted to give her some development towards the end of R2, even if it was a bit rushed. I figured if she and Kanon were anywhere near each other, they would have talked significantly, and it was particularly interesting to write her lying about how she joined Lelouch in order to protect Lloyd and Cecile.
> 
> Speaking of rushed endings, this chapter's ending felt the same way, but I didn't really want to write an exorbitant amount about a scene everyone already knows. This chapter also starts to divulge a few of my own speculations, like how I think Nina knew about the Zero Requiem and how Kanon likely figured it out on his own. Another chapter I've started writing contains some larger speculations about the implications of the Zero Requiem, hence why I wanted to save it for the end of the anthology. But, until then, use your imaginations.
> 
> This anthology has basically just become R2-centric, and I'm okay with that. The second season really needed some extra episodes (and a complete overhaul of the Geass arc) so maybe this will serve to satisfy some curiosity.
> 
> Well, in other news, my next planned chapter will probably include this story's first true appearance of everyone's favorite pizza-loving witch, so get hyped! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you again with the next update (which will be relatively soon)!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Missing Pieces! I have ideas for at least nine more stories and hope to continue writing them soon. Please remember to leave a review and let me know if there are any specific characters or instances in the canon CG universe upon which you would like me to elaborate!


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